Of Dreams and Reality
by Mistress-Ryoko
Summary: Tenchi has returned from Haruna's world, but is everything back to the way it's supposed to be? Rating subject to change.
1. Default Chapter

Mistress-Ryoko  
  
Of Dreams and Reality   
  
Tenchi is back in the present after his time spent with Haruna, but is everything back to the way it used to be? Writers first fic.   
  
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! and all other characters pertaining to TM! are not mine. They belong to Pioneer and other subsidiaries. I'm just borrowing them for the sake of this fic. So please, don't sue me. However, this particular work is my own, so if you feel that you must copy it (for MST or otherwise) please give credit where credit is due.   
  
!!!WARNING!!!   
  
This FanFic may contain some adult content as well as vulgar language. So if you are under the legal age to view such material, Please do NOT read on!!   
  
This is my first multi-chapter fic, so I hope you enjoy---   
  
Of Dreams and Reality   
  
Chapter 1   
  
"Normalcy Is Relative"   
  
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It was well into the autumn season at the Masaki shrine. Beautiful hues of now amber and russett leaves littered the all too shortly lived green valley floor and the wind that once carried the song of finches and sparrows now bit with the soon to be winter's frost. It had been three weeks since Tenchi had returned from the dream world he had called home for a little over half of the year, and yet on the outside nature had continued on like nothing had happened.   
  
It was Noboyuki and Katsuhito who came up with the idea of telling the police that the boy had simply run off with a strange female he had just met, and nothing more than that. It wasn't exactly a fabricated story, but who would believe the truth: a young lady's spirit emerging from a camilia tree, stealing a young Tenchi Masaki into a world of fantasy?   
  
Surprisingly, everyone accepted the explanation that was given, and life went on for those truely unaware of the strange events that had occured. But life wasn't exactly back to normal for those who had experienced it first hand. Although Tenchi and the rest of the Masaki household seemed pretty much the same as before, something had changed.   
  
Tenchi sat at the desk in his small, modest room. In front of him were what seemed like an endless sea of textbooks, work that he had to make up when he wasn't around at the start of the new school year. Unfortunately, this fine young man was too preoccupied to take care of his academic responsibilities. His mind was filled with the time he spent with Haruna, caught in a world that really never existed at all. Even if it wasn't real to everyone else, it was certainly real to him; the warmth of the sunlight as it filtered through their apartment window, the sound of the rain pelting the sidewalk as he rushed home after class, the taste of her skin as the moonlight washed over them in the darkness... it was all too real to simply be a dream.   
  
Tenchi dropped his pen onto the clean pages of his open notebook and rubbed his eyes, trying to forget the thoughts swimming around in his head, but there they were, all too fresh in his memory. He contemplated how this unique encounter had changed his life. He no longer thought of himself as a meek and feeble teenage boy, but rather a more confident and calmer young man.   
  
And it wasn't just himself that changed, he noticed how almost overnight the whole Aeka/Ryoko saga had changed as well. No longer did Aeka and Ryoko blow holes the the size of idustrial satelite dishes in his home, that was now more of a concern reserved for one of Washu's experiments rather than competition. They seemed to have more respect and understanding for one another. Of coarse they still had their fights, but they were more like disagreements and usually resolved themselves without much property or bodily damage.   
  
And yet, he felt this was just a facade, that underneath existed a storm of emotions for both of them, and that one spark would blow the works sky high. Still, he had to have faith that they had come to terms with all that had happened and had adjusted accordingly, much like they had done in the past.   
  
Tenchi was too wrapped up in his own ponderings to notice Ryo-Ohki had phased through the door and quietly crept over to his chair. The little brown creature sat there and looked at him with concerned eyes, and with some hesitation, slowly inched closer to his feet and made a small mewing noise, like a cat that wanted to be cuddled by its owner.   
  
Snapped out of his daze, Tenchi looked down to see Ryo-Ohki by his feet, and with gentle hands, picked her up.   
  
"Hello Ryo-ohki, how long have you been here?" he questioned the cabbit, not really expecting a response that he could understand. Instead, he smiled as she nuzzled against his house coat as he held her close.   
  
"I think it's about time to take a break anyway," he said to himself as he averted his gaze to the clock on the corner of his desk. It was almost noon, and that meant that someone would be coming to get him for lunch.   
  
Just at that precise moment, a light rapping came from the other side of the door.   
  
Meanwhile   
  
The afternoon sun shone brightly through the livingroom windows, causing the hardwood floors of the cozy abode to shine like a golden passageway, offering some comfort from the cool weather outside.   
  
Ryoko sat atop her favorite beam in the house overlooking the living room, bathing in the warmth of the light when Aeka walked by, passing by Mihoshi snoozing away on the living room sofa, carrying an armful of dishes to the dinning area.   
  
"Don't you just love Saturdays, Princess? Nothing to do except relax and watch TV."   
  
Aeka sighed and shook her head at the former pirate's words. She had learned to accept her arch rival's ways, but it still didn't make it any easier to deal with her lazyness.   
  
Still, she had to admire Ryoko for both her strength and brutal honesty. She was a creature who would not be tamed by anyone, a free spirit that would never be caged again. During their travels in search of Tenchi, she learned more about Ryoko in six months than she had in the previous two years. It was funny how things turned out when you least expected it.   
  
Not wanting her thoughts to be known, Aeka turned around and looked up at the pirate, who was still lounging on the beam. It wouldn't do for anyone to suspect that she actually had respect for the former criminal. Aeka simply wasn't ready such a dramatic shift in their relationship just yet.   
  
"Miss Ryoko, since you are doing absolutely nothing, why don't you come down here and help me set the table."   
  
Ryoko looked up at the ceiling, her finger to her chin, as if considering the request, "I don't know, princess. Let me check my busy schedule..."   
  
She loved trying to get Aeka riled up, it was in her opinion to be one of her favorite past time activities, right up there with drinking sake and being around Tenchi. However, still not comfortable with the idea that she was so different from everyone else in the house, Ryoko decided that she would continue her playtime after lunch. A quick sarcastic remark was all that was needed to satisfy her for the moment, and with the sound of displaced air particles, she phased out and reappeared next to Aeka.   
  
Just as Ryoko began to take her seat at the table (instead of helping Aeka), Mihoshi, wiping away the signs of sleep from her eyes, approached the two women. The tell tale design of her sweater sleeve as well as thin wisps of her curly golden hair were plastered on her cheeks as she spoke.   
  
"Did I hear someone say that lunch was ready?"   
  
"Wow Mihoshi, we were beginning to think that you had died. You haven't moved from that spot since breakfast." crooned Ryoko   
  
"People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Ryoko..." came Aeka's retort, still trying to keep her composure while placing the chopsticks next to the dinnerware.   
  
Ryoko and Mihoshi both gave quizical stares, a testiment to their knowledge of Earthly phrases, or the lack there of in this case.   
  
"But Aeka, this house is made of wood, not glass, unless you're talking about the windows..."   
  
"Never mind..." the princess sighed, shaking her head.   
  
"...and I don't think that Grandfather would allow rocks in the house..."   
  
"...Mihoshi..."   
  
"...Ryoko isn't even holding stones, so I don't understand why you would accuse her of such a thing. Just because she broke a window one time..."   
  
Aeka, getting more irritated by the second, spun on her heals and faced the young officer, clutching the last pair of chopsticks in her grip.   
  
"MIHOSHI! IT WAS JUST A METAPHOR!!!"   
  
"Oh...what's a metaphor?"   
  
The two women face faulted, dumbfounded that a Galaxy Police Detective could be so inept.   
  
"How does Kiyone do it?" Ryoko quietly asked the princess.   
  
"With great difficulty, I would imagine." She replied, rubbing her temples as if to quell an oncoming migrane.   
  
"Wait a minute, where's Sasami?" Mihoshi asked, suddenly aware that there was no food on the short, stalky table.   
  
"She went upstairs to fetch Tenchi," was the answer that followed, "they should be down shortly."   
  
With the table set and ready for the meal that Sasami had prepared, the three women sat down and tried to make idle chit chat. However, as soon as one of them asked Mihoshi how Kiyone was doing on her long awaited (and much needed) vacation, the young officer would begin to cry, howling about how she missed her partner.   
  
After Tenchi was returned to his rightful place in time, Kiyone had decided that she just needed to get away for a while. It was well known through out the house (as well as everyone at headquarters) that the more competent of the two agents hardly (if ever) took time out of work, and when she did, Mihoshi usually followed, like a piece of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of a shoe.   
  
With Aeka's and Ryoko's reassurance that her colleague would return soon, Mihoshi was back to her bubbly self, regailing the two women with jokes she had heard from the comedy show she had stayed up to watch last night. Even though Mihoshi didn't exactly understand why the jokes were so funny, she still laughed along with them.   
  
It wasn't long before Tenchi and Sasami had come down the stairs to join them, with Ryo-Ohki following close behind, both were carrying the promise of yet another great creation by the small child.   
  
They gingerly placed the cookware on the table as everyone smiled, taking in the sweet smells, anticipating the moment when they would all savor the taste of Sasami's cooking.   
  
But before the youngest princess took the covers off of the pots, Tenchi noticed two of the remaining members of the family weren't present.   
  
"Hey, where's Grandpa and Dad?"   
  
"Sorry Tenchi," answered Aeka, "but your Grandfather will not be joining us for lunch today. I already brought him a plate earlier so he could eat at the shrine."   
  
"And Dad was called to the office. Something about a project..." the pirate interjected.   
  
Aeka, incenced at both being interupted and from the insinuation of the remark, shot a disapproving glance at Ryoko.   
  
"And who are you to call him Dad?" the princess spat at her, the reverence she held for the woman earlier almost completely gone.   
  
"And who are you to say otherwise?"   
  
A slight coughing sound was made from across the table.   
  
Both women stopped their bickering to notice Sasami shaking her head with disapproval while Tenchi just stood there, looking as if he were clearing his throat. The two ladies quietly took their seats, their disagreement quelled for the moment.   
  
Just as they were about to start eating, a loud explosion was heard coming from Washu's subspace laboratory. The backfire was so great that it knocked everyone over and sent the cabbit hurdling across the room.   
  
"Is everyone alright?" Tenchi asked, picking himself up off the floor.   
  
"I think so," came the response from the two Jurian females.   
  
"What the hell was that?!" Ryoko shot out as she picked up her ship and long time companion.   
  
After a brief pause, the door in the hallway suddenly flew open, causing it to be almost completely embedded into the drywall.   
  
'This doesn't sound good,' was the single thought shared by all.   
  
The group watched as Washu entered the dining room, covered from head to toe in black soot, the ends of her wild mane of long, spikey red hair dragging on the floor as she stormed in. The purple scarf that she usually wore was no longer keeping her tresses up, but instead hung loosley around her shoulders, scorched to almost impossible recognition.   
  
"As if I need to ask, but do any of you remember entering my lab without my permission?"   
  
They all stared at her quizically as they shook their heads in a negative fashion, that is, except Mihoshi.   
  
The seemingly brainless female looked vacantly at Washu, explaining that just yesterday she had blown a fuse as well as the toaster oven (apparently while trying to heat up a Pop-Tart). She further clarified that while she was trying to find the fuse box, she had not only inadvertently flipped some switches, but also bumped into quite a few of Washu's gadgets.   
  
"So that's what happened to the toaster." Sasami remarked, feeling guilty that she suspected Ryoko had broken it while trying to make a midnight snack.   
  
"I tried to fix everything...." Mihoshi pleaded.   
  
Without warning, the red-headed scientist lunged at the girl, grabbing a fist full of her pink chanelle sweater, and screamed in her face with such rage that it even scared Ryoko.   
  
"YOU TRIED TO FIX EVERYTHING! COMPLICATED WORKS OF SCIENTIFIC GENIUS AND YOU TRIED TO FIX EVERYTHING!"   
  
Tenchi, who was completely shocked that Washu would get so infuriated to the point of violence, lept from the table and grabbed hold of Washu in an effort to restrain her. Finally, after several attempts to pull her off of Mihoshi (with the help of Aeka and Ryoko, of course), he was able to subdue the situation before it became deadly.   
  
"Now, tell us what happened," he asked in the most calming voice he could muster.   
  
Washu straightened her shirt and smoothed her hair back. As she started to explain, she kept an angry eye on the lab-infultrating clutz.   
  
"I was testing one of my greatest inventions, a rather interesting piece of inginuity," she claimed, patting herself on the back as she always does.   
  
"But right as it reached maximum capacity, it blew up! I was thrown clear across my lab! When I analized the data to find the problem, not only did I discover a slight crack in one of the plasma tubes, but it also appeared that SOMEONE tried to patch it up with a substandard polymer coating."   
  
"I don't remember using that..." Mihoshi giggled.   
  
"NAIL POLISH YOU STUPID MORON!" screamed Washu, the flame that was her anger began to pique once more.   
  
"Well, I always use clear nail polish to repair all of Kiyone's nicknacks, so I figured it wouldn't hurt...."   
  
Washu's fury grew at her words, and again jumped forward to continue her assault, determined to finish the job.   
  
"I AM THE GREATEST SCIENTIFIC GENIUS IN THE UNIVERSE. I'VE CREATED WEAPONS CAPABLE OF DISTROYING WHOLE GALAXIES AND SHIPS THAT CAN REGENERATE THEMSELVES IN THE BLINK OF A NANO-SECOND. BUT EVERYTIME I INVENT A FORCEFIELD DESIGNED TO KEEP FEEBLE MINDED IDIOTS SUCH AS YOURSELF OUT, YOU ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO BREACH IT! WHY?! HOW!?"   
  
The Galaxy Police Officer simply smiled, "Guess I'm just lucky like that..."   
  
"UUUGGGGHHHHHH!" Instead of grabbing the twit by the sweater and shaking her, Washu began strangling her so that the detective started to turn blue.   
  
After about two minutes of trying to pry the red-head off of her victim, and almost twenty minutes of reassuring her that Mihoshi meant well (along with the promise that they would all keep a closer eye on her), they once again resumed their attention to the feast before them. Fortunately, all the cookware was undisturbed during all the commotion and was thankfully still warm.   
  
The next hour passed by without much incident, except for the occasional growl from Washu and whimper from Mihoshi.   
  
One by one they finished eating, praised Sasami for another wonderful lunch, and entered the kitchen to deposit their dishes on the white, tiled counter top.   
  
"Ryoko, could you please help me with the dishes?" Sasami asked, filling one of the basins of the double sink with soap and hot water.   
  
"But 'Days of Our Passion' is on and I wanna find out who the father of Yukira's baby is." the former outlaw whined.   
  
"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaassseeee?" the pig-tailed princess implored. "If Aeka promises to tape it for you, will you help me?"   
  
Before Ryoko could plead her case, the pearl of the Jurian Noble family sauntered in, ready to assist her young sibling with the chore.   
  
"Aeka, if Ryoko helps me this time would you please record her favorite show?" Sasami asked in her most polite voice.   
  
Aeka contemplated her sister's request for a moment. It wasn't often she got to watch that particular soap opera, seeing as how she was usually the one who had to help her sister in the kitchen after everyone had eaten. She had to depend on Ryoko to give her a full report on what had happened during the program, and even then it wasn't the same. Besides, she wasn't 100% sure she could trust Ryoko not to break the dishes, let alone clean them properly. A kitchen was not exactly the best place for Ryoko to be left alone in, especially with an impressionable young girl such as Sasami. But she really wanted to watch the program without interruption, even if it meant the sacrifice of one or two saucers.   
  
"I guess I could go along with that."   
  
"See! I told you she would. Please..."   
  
Ryoko glanced at the little princess, whose pink doe eyes where silently screaming for her to stay and help.   
  
"Oh, alright. But you better keep up your end of the bargain, princess."   
  
Aeka stood tall and proud, appearing as the ideal example of womanly perfection, and announced that it was not within her blood to break a promise, no matter how small. With the soft rustling of her lavender and azure colored kimono, the older princess departed company and headed for the livingroom.   
  
Doing her best Aeka impression, Ryoko repeated the last comment, punctuated with a raspberry. As she turned to face the smallest princes, she was handed a small white swaddling of cloth.   
  
"What's this for?" the pirate asked, examining the item with incredulity.   
  
"It's an apron. You've seen me wear it hundreds of times."   
  
"I knew that, I was only teasing!" Ryoko remarked. It was embarrassing enough to feel inadequate when it came to ordinary chores (thanks to Aeka's constant nit-picking), but it was worse when someone younger than you had to tell you what even the smallest things were.   
  
Ryoko studied the garment, trying to figure out what part of it was the front. Noticing that the older woman was having trouble, Sasami walked over and started to help her put it on.   
  
Ryoko silently cursed herself for being roped into helping with the dishes. Damn her for having a soft heart when it came to those big pink eyes.   
  
Of all the people she had met in her life, Sasami was the only one capable of coercing anybody into doing her bidding without intimidation. The only other person she would even consider accomidating was Tenchi, and even he couldn't motivate her all the time, and when he did convince her to help out, usually a fight would break out between her and the eldest princess.   
  
Yet, there was something about this young child; she seemed to comprehend everything around her when most girls her age couldn't even fathom the complexities of growing up, let alone those of the entire universe. She also had the uncanny ability to sympathize with most of the people she came into contact with, as well as their situations. Sasami did not judge those around her, instead she would actually take the time to get to know them, to actually listen to what they had to say. Whether it was Tsunami's influence on this small child or not, it was still comforting to know that there was someone Ryoko knew that could look past all the ugliness and see the real person underneath.   
  
Ryoko assumed her position next to Sasami, who started placing the soup bowls and cups into the soapy water. Her train of thought derailed for the moment, the spikey haired beauty grabbed a sponge and proceeded to scrub the dishes, being careful not to chip the delicate porcelin edges.   
  
Unfortunately, the woman neglected to notice Washu pop into the kitchen, carrying several dishes that the rest of the group had forgotten about. At that precise moment, Ryoko decided that was the perfect time to gripe about manual labor.   
  
"I don't understand why we have to wash these by hand. I mean, you would think the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe would invent something to make it easier. Some genius..."   
  
But before Ryoko could finish her statement, she quickly snapped her jaw shut when she turned her head and saw two large emerald eyes staring back at her.   
  
Sasami tried to suppress her laughter as the scientist glared at her daughter.   
  
"You were saying," Washu quipped, a bit perturbed that Ryoko would even consider questioning the little genius's abilities, even if she was only grumbling about washing dishes 'the old fashion way'.   
  
"Oh, nothing..." the pirate replied, trying to mask her fear with a cracked smile. She stayed rooted to the sink, waiting for the moment when she would be changed into a water sprite, or something much worse. Knowing the scientist's mood today, anything was possible.   
  
"Really..." was all Washu could say, as she dumped the dishes she had into the sudsy water, causing a small tidal wave to slap against the sink and soak through the front of Ryoko's apron as well as her blue and olive-toned dress underneath.   
  
"Ah, I feel better already!" the redhead exclaimed, stretching her arms over her head. "I think I'll go take a nice long and cozy bath before I start my repairs."   
  
The little woman cackled fiendishly as she disappeared into one of her subspace portals.   
  
Sasami, still trying to squelch a serious case of the giggles, turned to her counterpart who had now beemed a bright red. The woman wasn't upset at not having been told Washu was there, but rather it was the fact that she now had to finish her chore with wet, soppy clothing.   
  
"Ryoko, it could have been a lot worse."   
  
"True, but how would you like it if you were splashed with dirty dish water?" And with that, Ryoko cupped her hand into the sink and with one swift motion, doused the young girl.   
  
Sasami retaliated by placing her hand in the sink and splashing the pirate, causing her outfit to be almost completely saturated in the front. This helped lighten Ryoko's mood, and soon both of them were laughing and bespattering each other with sink water.   
  
In the Livingroom   
  
The glow from the television screen danced on the walls as the sound of romantic measure mirrored the reaction of those within. Two lovers intertwined within each other's arms, frozen in time as the passion between them grew to a fevered pitch.   
  
Aeka's attention was no longer focused on the scene before her. She was caught up in a fantasy of her own. In her mind's eye she envisioned a room extravagantly decorated in rare silks and gauze-like fabrics that hung from gold painted rods suspended from a cathedral ceiling, the flames from what seemed to be hundreds of candles lightly flittered from the wisper of the breeze as it drifted through large open windows. In the center of it all was a very large bed on a slightly raised platform, painstakingly embellished in the same textiles that adorned the space around it.   
  
A seductive, masculine voice came from the shadows on the other side of the room, carried by the warm summer zephyrs.   
  
"I wanted everything to be perfect."   
  
"It is..." she wispered, afraid to say more for fear of ruining this moment.   
  
Tenchi stepped into the candle light, his bare chest lightly glistening as he slowly approached. Never in a hundred years had she seen such a fine specimen of pure masculinity. His taught, moderately bronzed skin clung to every curve, every muscle, much like the statues that lined many of Jurai's private gardens at the royal palace.   
  
"Not exactly perfect..." he continued, finally coming face to face with the sovereign beauty.   
  
Without another word, he kissed her. It was tender at first, their lips lightly touching, but as their passion grew it became deeper, more frenzied.   
  
The world around them seemed to disappear into a flurry of sensations, the sounds of their heavy breathing almost completely obscuring the ballad of many crickets outside this florid haven. Aeka's skin tingled at every touch of his hands, fireworks exploded behind her eyelids as she felt his chest through her white satin negligee.   
  
Just as their fervor was about to unfold into a heated avidity of crumpled bedsheets and discarded clothing, Tenchi abruptly broke the kiss and looked at her with a far away stare. His voice, which was alluring and deep just a moment before, was now replaced with an almost girl like squeal.   
  
"Ryoko...no...stop..."   
  
Aeka was involuntarily snapped out of her daydream by the sound of Sasami's shrieking. Upon hearing the commotion, she lept up from the couch and turned the corner that led to the kitchen, visibly upset that she had been disturbed in such a manner.   
  
Aeka's blood started to boil as she surveyed the exhibition before her. The floor and almost all of the appliances were covered in water, a sponge and dish towel lying in the middle of the room, also thoroughly soaked. However, the most disturbing sight beheld by the princess was the image of a sodden pirate hovering in front of a nearly depleted sink basin, the facet on full blast, dangling a young child over it.   
  
"I'm not letting you go 'til you say uncle..." Ryoko teased.   
  
Aeka was not truely aware of the nature behind the spectacle she was witnessing. Her rage was so great that she did not here Sasami's laughter as she begged Ryoko to let her go, instead the only sound she could register was the ringing of her ears as her powerful shield crackled into existance.   
  
Memories of the Royal Palace on her home planet being attacked filled her head; people running for their lives, children crying for their mothers, lovers holding each other close as if it were their last chance to do so. She hated Ryoko for so long for what she had done to her people, detested the pirate for taking her beloved away from her in her time of need. The space pirate wreaked havoc and mayhem where ever she went, and no one was safe from her wrath, especially when Kagato was not far behind. But she had almost completely forgiven Ryoko when it was told that it was not the woman's fault. She had been under the complete control of a mad-man hell bent on galactic domination.   
  
Suddenly a realization hit her, Ryoko was never under Kagato's control. She was an active participant in the destruction of many planets and the deaths countless innocent lives, she had to be. After all, here she was, terrorizing a small child on her own volition. It was a lie, it was all just one terrible lie, and she felt foolish for have been taken in by the whole thing.   
  
All this cogitation only took a fraction of a second as the princess let out a blood curdling scream and fired an energy bolt at the former pirate.   
  
Before Ryoko could react to the high-pitched tone, she was struck down by the blast, causing Sasami to hit her head on the counter top as she was released. Ryoko, still trying to recover from the discharge, noticed the child laying on the floor. A large gash across her forhead was trickling blood into the water that surrounded her small frame as she lay lifeless.   
  
"SASAMI!!"   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's Notes: I know a lot of people are gonna say that Tenchi Forever   
  
is not based on the first OVA, but I always liked the first OVA best. I   
  
figured that if I were to ever write a story or fanfic continuing   
  
Tenchi Forever, I would incorporate the first series. Anyway, it's my   
  
first fic and I hope you like it. I have another chapter coming along   
  
soon. I figure it's gonna be a long story line. Tell me what you think.   
  
I would love to hear from you. Mistress Ryoko 


	2. Consequences

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! and all other characters pertaining to TM! are the sole property of Pioneer and their subsidiaries. I do not own them, so don't sue me. However, this particular work is my own creation, so if you feel that you must copy it (for MST or otherwise), please give credit where credit is due.  
  
WARNING!!!!! This Fanfic may contain vulgar language, nudity and/or sexual content. If you are not of legal age to view such material, please turn back now. I will not be held responsible for the actions (or any actions incurred) from those who choose to freely read this fic.  
  
With that said, let us continue...  
  
Of Dreams And Reality   
  
Chapter 2   
  
"Consequences"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
Ryoko tried to halt the pain that was now coursing through her skull as she scanned the area, trying to find out who, or what, had hurt the young princess and was trying to kill her as well. She lunged toward the island in the middle of the kitchen next to where Sasami lay as another shot struck the wall nearby, creating a massive hole that allowed the frigid autumn air to blow in.   
  
"You BITCH!!! You won't be satisfied until you've destroyed everything and everyone that I love!"  
  
Ryoko heard the familiar voice screaming at her with such vehemence that she couldn't believe it had come from such a slender, cultivated woman. She had to admit that some of the time, if not most, she would purposely get Aeka so upset that the royal autocrat would lose her composure usually to the point of 'friendly fire'. But never, in all of Ryoko's exchanges with the young woman, had she ever heard her scream with such abhorrence and determination, even when she had been captured by her shortly after her release from the cave.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you, Aeka? Have you lost your fucking mind?!"  
  
Ryoko, now dressed in her form fitting black and red battle gear, grabbed the child and summoned her force feild just as a third powerful blast shattered the entire cabinet, causing a cloud of ceramic missles and wooden splinters to fall around them.   
  
"What's the matter you demon cur? It's no longer amusing to mistreat someone your own size, so you terrorize innocent children for your own sick and perverted pleasure?"   
  
Aeka advanced on her enemy, every word filled with malice as it fell from her rosey lips.  
  
For two years she had resided inside this quaint little home with the vile demon, and all that time she had insisted to Tenchi that Ryoko was nothing more than that. However, the young man would hear none of it, and expressed his own opinions regarding his rather unique houseguest. She was a complicated woman he would explain, and defend her actions as if she were a victim of circumstances that were beyond her control. The Crown Princess stood by and watched as Ryoko interacted with his family and friends as time passed, taking credence to the possibility that Tenchi could actually have been right after all. She seemed to genuinly care about those around her, even Aeka herself from time to time. They formed a strange bond through the years, coming together when faced with a crisis no matter how small.  
  
But now she felt the fool. To be taken in by the acts of a lowly space pirate and actually pity her was too much to bear. She had questioned Ryoko's sincerity numberous times, but never had she suspected that even she could be trapped by her outrageous lies. But she had, and now Tenchi would see Ryoko for the monster she truely was.  
  
The older princess stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Ryoko holding her sister, blood dripping from a deep gash on her forehead.  
  
"Aeka, please..."  
  
Before Ryoko could finish pleading for Sasami's safety and well-being, Aeka concentrated her own bulwark of dwarfling guardians to surround her arch rival, not realizing that her own hasty actions had caused her sister's injury.   
  
Ryoko gently placed Sasami back on the floor and ever so slowly backed away from her, keeping as much distance as possible from the smallest princess all the while keeping her eyes on Aeka. Hopefully if she kept away from the little girl, Aeka would see it as a sign of surrender and at least take Sasami to where she could be helped.   
  
She stared into Aeka's eyes, anxious to find out if the princess had taken the bait. Ryoko watched closely as Aeka ventured further toward them, her expression one full of vengence. There was no way in hell this was going to end peacefully.  
  
Of course the ex-criminal could have easily teleported her and Sasami to safety, but she found that no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't leave Aeka in such a state. Ryoko tried to telepathically scream for Washu through their shared mental link, but found that the young scientist's end was sealed rather tightly, apparently wanting to be completely alone to relax in the onsen.  
  
'The one time I really need her and she does this,' the pirate silently scolded. Deciding to risk getting the older princess even more irate, Ryoko tried to teleport Sasami out of the area before things got worse. There was no way she was going to get to the bottom of this if she had to worry about Sasami at the same time.  
  
Aeka's sheilding hummed to life, spinning the small cylinders in oposite directions around her prey.  
  
Before Ryoko was able to put her plan into action, she was suddenly being bombarded with such a substantial surge of power that even with all of her strength she couldn't maintain her own defenses as her own shield collapsed. The pirate screamed in agony as pain surged through her body, the onslaught continuing to a fevered pitch.   
  
The spikey-haired woman's mind was filled with thoughts of Sasami and her sister as the attack subsided. What had she done that was so wrong to warrant the Juraian woman's acerbity of temper, to cause Aeka so much pain that she would even overlook Sasami's presence as she lashed out physically? Was she so blinded by her own hysteria that she couldn't even comprehend that it was her own doing that had caused her little sister to be hurt, her delusion so great that Aeka had actually thought Ryoko herself could be capable of intentionally harming one so innocent as Sasami?  
  
Ryoko gathered every ounce of inner strength she could muster, suprisingly weakened by the voltage that Aeka's attack was capable of, and crawled over to the young princess. Using her much larger frame as a defense sheild of it's own, she leaned over Sasami, determined to protect her small friend from her sister's misdirected rage.  
  
The droning of Aeka's aegis became deafening as she prepared to fire once more.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Tenchi was at the shrine with Grandpa sweeping and chatting away, using this time to take a much needed break from his unsuccessful attempts at his studies as Mihoshi sat nearby on the shrine steps, feeding Ryo-ohki from a neary basket of carrots.  
  
"You're so cute." the blond officer grinned playfully, the cool air nipping at her skin. "It must be great not having a care in the world."  
  
Katsuhito gazed skyward, taking in the natural beauty of the nearly leafless trees when a loud eruption shook the serenity of the countryside, making everything and everyone stop, like time itself had ceased to exist.  
  
The young man beside him instantly knew there was trouble, quickly turning his head in the direction of the disturbance.   
  
"What was that?!" he said loudly, his breath creating a small haze of crystalized moisture. The feeling that rippled through his body told him that this wasn't like all the other times he had heard that same sound. This felt more urgent, like the screaming of someone's soul.  
  
"It sounded like it came from the house." answered Mihoshi, confirming what Tenchi had suspected. The young woman quickly shed her bubbly persona and reached for her service pistol which she kept conveniently straped to her backside.  
  
The furry cabbit ran as fast as it could to the house with Tenchi and the other two close behind. The crisp breezes stung their faces as they followed the ship, their minds filled with visions of two women engaging in a small war of wills as they raced past the trees.   
  
The family dwelling came into view as two more loud explosions were heard and a large puff of smoke could be seen emanating from the back yard.  
  
Katsuhito directed the blond detective to go through the front door while he and Tenchi went to investigate behind his home. As the two men rounded the corner, they noticed chunks of drywall, housing shingles and pieces of what looked like were once two-by-four's littered all over the cold, hard ground.   
  
Tenchi's attention was then focused on the horrible things being said from inside the kitchen. Aeka, who's voice was usually calm and lilting, was almost unrecognizable as she spat hatred and revenge on whomever had incurred her wrath.   
  
Being extra careful not to get in the path of another missle attack, Tenchi peeked into the kitchen through the rather large hollow where the wall once stood, expecting to find both the princess and Ryoko engrossed in one of their long awaited battles. What he saw made his heart almost jump out of his chest.  
  
There, lying on the kitchen floor was little Sasami, unmoving in a puddle of water mixed with some of the child's own blood. Ryoko on the other hand was slumped over the young princess, still conscious, her eyes closed in expectation.  
  
Not far from them stood Aeka, the proud jewel of the Jurian Royal family, her face a mask of tears and pale despair, preparing one last strike on her intended target.  
  
"AEKA, NO!" Tenchi shouted, his hands in front of him as he sprinted towards her, regardless of the slick tiles threatening his traction.   
  
"Stand back, Lord Tenchi. This is no affair of yours." she shouted back at him, determined to carry out her own brand of justice as the memories of long before were still fresh in her mind.  
  
"Do as she says Tenchi! Just take Sasami and go!" Ryoko pleaded with him. There was no way that she was going to place him in danger, afraid that his attempts to save her would become his own downfall. At least he could help Sasami before it was too late.  
  
Katsuhito stood in the opening of the decimated wall, watching the exchange closely with tentative, wine-colored eyes. The old shrine keeper patiently stood by, waiting for a sign that let him know he was needed by his grandson who stood mere inches from Aeka.  
  
From behind the princess Mihoshi emerged, blaster in hand, ready for anything, the small cabbit at her side. She surveyed the damage, not noticing the two crumpled forms in front of the plum-tressed woman.  
  
"Aeka..." the officer wispered softly, just as much in the dark about the situation as everyone else present. She gave Tenchi a quizical expression as he motioned for Mihoshi to lower her gun and stand back.  
  
Tenchi calmly took two more steps, signaling for his grandfather to tend to Sasami and Ryoko. Carefully trying not to upset her anymore than she already was, he stood firmly between Aeka and her quarry.   
  
"Tenchi! Get away!" the space pirate implored, tears cascading down her cheeks, fearing that Aeka would kill him while in her state of temperary insanity. Katsuhito simply reassured Ryoko that his young protege knew what he was doing, trying to calm the almost hysterical woman as he checked Sasami for signs of life.  
  
Ryo-ohki bounded towards her master, yowling at the site of it's favorite perch laying there. Instinctively, the creature arched her back, hissing a Aeka, a futile attempt to stop the princess from lashing out.  
  
Ryoko turned her attention away from the shinto priest and back to Tenchi, still standing between the older princess and herself, and prayed that his grandfather was right.  
  
"Please Lord Tenchi, don't come any closer!" the princess warned.   
  
Her eyes, although hazed over with tears, watched intently as Tenchi held his ground, unwavered by the presage she had just given him. His expression wasn't that of judgement and loathing as she had expected, rather it was filled with understanding and compassion.   
  
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to follow up with her intention to fire upon Ryoko again, even if by some twist of fate the young man looking at her had allowed her to.   
  
The young man placed a gentle hand on the princess as her powers subsided, letting the flood gates that were her emotions spill out into the open, recalling the vision of her wounded sister lying quiescently in the arms of her adversary.  
  
"Sasami..." Aeka wispered with forced breath, almost fainting at the sight of Sasami as Tenchi grabbed her by the waist to steady her.  
  
"She'll be alright," the elder said, after a very brief examination. "But I think that we should get her down to Washu's lab so she can receive proper care."  
  
As if summoned by the thoughts of all present rather than the commotion, Washu entered onto the scene through the hallway were Mihoshi stood. The genius, wrapped in nothing but a white bathrobe decorated with little red crabs and holding a towel adorned in the same motif, glimpsed at the detective who was still holding her weapon at her side.   
  
"Mihoshi, put that thing away before you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot," Washu stated, a furrowed brow accentuating her supercilious remark.  
  
Her dislike for the blond woman was shortly lived, however, as the reality of the situation became noticably clear. Part of the room was missing, dust and chunks of wood littered the entire space and there was Tenchi, right in the middle of it all, holding a very distraught Aeka in his dark, masculine arms.  
  
Washu had seen this coming for a while now. It wasn't likely for two people such as Aeka and Ryoko to go so long without as much as a nasty verbal argument between them, considering that both individuals shared such a sorted past as well as a common factor; that being of course, Tenchi.  
  
But something about this crisis didn't seem right. It didn't feel like all the other times she had seen or heard of the two woman fighting. Someone was missing from this equation, and from the glom in Tenchi's eyes, it didn't look good.  
  
Washu hesitantly walked around Mihoshi, trying to get a good assessment of what exactly was going on. The little genius's mouth went wide with shock, unable to ask or say anything as she watched Katsuhito cradle an unconscious Sasami in his arms.  
  
Without a word, Washu hurried over to the older man's side as he stood up, still holding the precious youth, and directed him to the entrance to her lab without giving Ryoko so much as a second glance.   
  
Washu was quite aware of the pirate's ability to regenerate quickly, and so she left her there to take care of herself.  
  
Katsuhito noticed the intellectual woman's lack of concern but said nothing as he continued to follow, Ryo-ohki closely at his heels.  
  
Ryoko on the other hand, hadn't noticed Washu's disinterest in her, she was too wrapped up in the issue of what had just happened.   
  
Regaining some of her energy, the pirate carefully got to her feet and checked herself over to make sure nothing was broken, with the exception of the fixture that once existed where a small crater now stood.  
  
Resisting the urge to fly over to Tenchi and protect him from Aeka's erratic behavior, Ryoko just stood back, a twinge of jealousy growing in her soul. But she knew better. Tenchi was a caring, nurturing soul who only wanted to comfort the royal maiden, just like he would do for her if the situation was reversed. That's what she loved about him.  
  
Months ago if she had seen the young man even touch Aeka she would have flown into a frenzy of her own, smashing anything in her way and threatening anyone with bodily harm. Now it was different. It wasn't for her to say what was appropriate or not, Tenchi was his own person.  
  
Deciding he would get to the root of the problem better than herself, the ex-criminal silently dematerialized from the scene and headed towards the deep recesses of Washu's laboratory.  
  
Tenchi payed no attention to the exchange that was taking place behind him as he focus all of his concentration on the older princess. She had apparently suffered some kind of nervous breakdown, that was the only explanation he could offer himself at the moment. Why else would she flip out without considering her younger sister being in the way?  
  
He pushed these thoughts out of his mind, knowing that there had to be a logical explanation for what made her snap as he lead the crown princess upstairs, her body still shaking like a leaf in the wind.  
  
Mihoshi placed her gun back into its holster as she cautiously walked over the debris feild and opened one of the cupboards, extracting two bottles of sake along with three saucers and headed up the staircase after her friends.   
  
------------------------------  
  
Washu had just begun her initial scan of Sasami, having changed into more appropriate attire complete with a new sash tied in her hair, just as Ryoko arrived.  
  
"How's she doing?" the pirate asked to no one in particular as she walked up to the gurney that the child lay upon, the furry ship sitting on the end of it.  
  
The lab seemed unusually dark except for the area surrounding them. The only bright light seemed to be coming from above them, focusing on the small patient in the center of it as she lay between white sterile sheets, a simple white gown replaced the wet, pastel-colored kimono she wore just a few moments before.  
  
Ryoko stood next to Sasami, lightly touching her aquamarine hair as Washu continued typing away on her holo-top computer.  
  
"She'll be ok. Sasami's young, therefore she should heal rather quickly. And besides, she has been assimilated with one of the most powerful beings in the universe." the little genius explained, her focus still on the task at hand.  
  
Katsuhito approached Ryoko and handed her a small metal wash basin full of saline solution and a wad of gauze pads, suggesting that she help him care for the wound on the child's forehead.  
  
The pirate gathered up the supplies and hesitantly sat on the bed with Sasami. Ryoko never felt comfortable in Washu's lair, full of intimidating gadgets and various pieces of equipment ranging from hideously large to incredibly small all housed in this dark, desolate place. With the exception of the scientific paraphernalia littered about, it felt almost exactly like the cave that held her captive for 700 years. At least in here she had the option to leave, unless she was being held hostage by the pint-sized professor.  
  
With as delicate a hand as Ryoko could manage, she began to wash the dried blood from the gash over the child's brow, afraid to cause her any more pain.  
  
Sasami began to regain conciousness, moaning wearily as she moved her head slightly.  
  
Washu jumped from the plush cusion she had been sitting on and approached the bed. Languidly, the child opened her eyes, only to close them shut again as the blazing streams of light stung her retina's.  
  
"Sasami, can you hear me?" the red-headed woman asked.  
  
"L..L..Little Washu?" Sasami replied,much like a toddler learning how to talk for the first time as she tried to put her hand to her head, only to have the small genius hold her back.  
  
"How do you feel?" Washu asked.  
  
"Horrible." the child groaned, squinting her eyes. "Where am I? Why is it so bright?"  
  
Within seconds Washu snapped her fingers, commanding the lights to be dimmed to a soft glow. Again the genius snapped her fingers. A small dimensional pocket opened, expelling a gadget that looked more like a stun gun.  
  
"You're in the lab of the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe!" Washu boasted, her words reverberating loudly through the ears of all present.   
  
"Please, not so loud." the young Juraian implored, cringing.   
  
"Sorry."  
  
"What have you got there?" Katsuhito asked Washu, refering to the item she had just procured from sub-space.  
  
"Oh this? This is one of my latest inventions." the genius answered back, her voice beaming with pride.  
  
"It works on the same principle as Ryoko's physical restoration abilities, only this is more compact and can be used on any living organism without compromising it's molecular structure."  
  
Washu gazed at the perplexed grins contorting all three of their faces and realized to whom she had been speaking to.   
  
"This little gizmo helps the body heal faster, much like Ryoko can do on her own, without any side effects."  
  
"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" the cyan haired woman grumbled.  
  
Ignoring the remark, Washu raised the hand-held device over the child's head. The others stared in amazement as the instrument cast a green phosphorescence over the laceration. Gradually the injury disappeared, leaving no sign of it having been there.  
  
"That's quite an amazing little invention. It will come in rather handy when Tenchi returns to the shrine for practice." the old man commented with a wry smile.  
  
Ryo-ohki, who had been sitting back quietly for some time, dilatorily crept toward Sasami, her long ears drooping at her sides,mewing ever so softly.  
  
"Ryo-ohki, I'm so glad you're here."  
  
"Sasami," interjected Ryoko, trying not to pay attention to what the shinto priest had just said a minute before, "Do you remember anything?"  
  
The eleven year-old gave the pirate a queer expression, not quite understanding what she meant.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"What was the last thing you remember before you woke up down here?" Washu repeated arching her brow.   
  
Sasami thought for a moment. She slowly began to sit up when a child-like hand took hold of her, keeping her from falling off the tall gurney.  
  
"I remember being in the kitchen after lunch. Ryoko promised to help me do the dishes."  
  
"Anything else?" Washu asked.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"What does this mean? Will she be alright?" Ryoko asked.  
  
"She seems to be suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder." the scientist responded, again using terminology that Ryoko couldn't understand.  
  
"Post-tra-what?"  
  
"Basically she's suffering from temporary amnesia. It causes her to forget specific details of a certain event, in this case the situation upstairs. However, with some rest she should be back to her own happy self in about a week"  
  
"Does that mean she'll be able to remember after a while?" Ryoko inquired, her expression one of guarded relief.  
  
"Um...Ryoko dear, I believe that's what I said."  
  
"Oh," the pirate replied, obviously embarrased at the oversight.  
  
Ryoko and Katsuhito let out a collective sigh upon hearing Washu's explanation, satisfied that their little friend and family member would recover fully.  
  
"Where's Aeka and Tenchi?" Sasami asked, looking around and noticing their absence.  
  
------------------  
  
Upstairs, in a quaint room adorned with feminine decor, a bewildered prince sat beside a young princess on a small futon, both of Jurian Noble blood. Across from them sat a blond Galaxy Police Detective First Class, both friend and protector of the two people before her.  
  
Tenchi had sat patiently with Aeka, waiting for her to calm down enough so that she could explain what had happened downstairs not ten minutes ago. The only information he could gather consisted of Ryoko and Sasami in the kitchen alone together, supposedly doing dishes and making a lot of noise.   
  
After several attempts to give her own account of the chaos, she had passed out from a combination of exhaustion and sake.   
  
"I think she's going to be out for a while, Tenchi. Why don't you go downstairs and check on Sasami."  
  
"Are you sure, Mihoshi?" asked Tenchi, hesitating a little. If Aeka woke up, he wanted to be there to find out more about the incident.   
  
"I'll be fine. You just go on ahead, I'm gonna sit here just in case she wakes up. I don't want her to be left alone. When she comes around, I'll get you."  
  
The young Masaki male got up off the bedding, walked towards the door and stopped. This wasn't a side to Mihoshi that he didn't see too often. He usually saw her as a bubbly, accident-prone girl who's involvement in situations were laced with good intentions while stumbling along the way, and most of the time the outcome was a product of luck.  
  
But now he looked at the detective in a whole new light. Mihoshi wasn't a mere clutz, but a responsible, level-headed woman when the opportunity came along. They had just never given her any credit for the things she had tried to do for them.  
  
"Mihoshi,"   
  
"Yes, Tenchi?" the detective answered, expecting him to remind her not to fall asleep again.  
  
"Thanks." It wasn't original, but it was all he could say to her that expressed his appreciation.  
  
Mihoshi's pale blue eyes lit up at his gesture, extremely happy at the words he had just spoken to her. It was very rare for someone to thank her for helping any one do anything, even Kiyone.  
  
Like a teenager getting a new car for her birthday, Mihoshi lept up in the air, clutched her hands together and began to cry.  
  
"Oh Tenchi. Do you really mean it? You're actually thanking me? You don't know how much this means to me..."  
  
And so it came to be that Mihoshi's bubbly nature returned. As she approached the young man to give him one of her bear hugs, she lost her footing. Sticking out her arms to keep from falling, Mihoshi hit the crystal vase on a small table located not that far from the officer, causing it to shatter into several pieces as it crashed onto the floor.  
  
Tenchi winced at the sight of the accident and the smashing sound that followed. Quickly he glanced at the princess, expecting her to be jolted awake by the noise. He was relieved to find her still sleeping dispite the clamor.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, Tenchi." Mihoshi whined, trying to pick up as many of the larger pieces as she could.  
  
"It's alright, it was just an accident." he smiled, "I'll get the broom and help you clean this up."  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
In the deep recesses of space, an enormous craft made it's way through the ocean of stars. It's destination: a back-water planet known as Earth, the last known location of two members of Jurai's royal family.  
  
Deep within the ship's bridge sat a large, steely man, extensively draped in imperial robes. Beside him stood two elegantly poised women, dressed in similar fashion.  
  
Several thousand miles from the bow of the magnificent vessel, a smaller GP battle cruiser raced in the same direction, also bound for Earth. It's occupant feverishly attempting to communicate with a certain egotistical inventor.   
  
"Come on, come on!!" Kiyone growled, punching commands into her keyboard.  
  
For what seemed to be the hundreth time, the officer recieved the interstellar equivalent of a loss of dial tone.  
  
"Damn!!" Kiyone screamed, grinding her teeth to almost shattering.  
  
"All attempts to notify Princess Aeka, Princess Sasami Proffessor Washu have failed due to inadequate distance between the Yagami and Earth." came the monotone statement from Azaka, one of Aeka's guardian logs.  
  
"Communication will not be possible for the next thousand parsecs." Kamadake droned as well.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
Author's comments:  
  
There it is, chapter 2. Hope you like it. I would have posted it sooner, but unfortunately some things came up. I know that some people are asking why this is located in the lemon section. My answer, I plan on adding lemon later, and also because of some of the language. I got some positive feedback from my first chapter, so I guess I'm gonna stick with it for a while. I hope to have Chapter 3 up in a few weeks. Special thanks to Dudeman for proofreading my work. I am forever in your debt.  
  
Again, any comments are welcome.  
  
Mistress Ryoko  
  
"E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium"- Jay and Silent Bob 


	3. Restless

Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo and all characters pertaining to TM! are  
  
the sole property of Pioneer and their subsidiaries. I do not own   
  
them, therefor I do not profit from them. However, this particular   
  
work is my own creation, so if you feel that you must copy it (for  
  
MST or otherwise), please give credit where credit is due.  
  
WARNING!!!! This Fanfic may contain vulgar language, nudity and/or  
  
sexual content. If you are not of legal age to view such material in  
  
your area, please turn back now (although in reality, you wouldn't  
  
anyway, so why am I deluding myself). I will not be held responsible  
  
for the actions (or any actions incurred) from those who freely choose  
  
to read this fic.  
  
With that said, let's begin...  
  
Of Dreams and Reality   
  
Chapter 3   
  
"Restless"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The silver rays of moonlight shone brightly through the glass-like structure protecting the onsen, reflecting on the water like diamonds on satin sheets.   
  
Within the glow of the twilight sat a lone figure, the balmy bath water engulfing her naked form as she stared blankly at the stars drifting lazily above her.  
  
Ryoko came here at every possible chance to be alone, be it when the others were eating or sleeping. It was one of the few times she could truely be left by herself to relax and focus on her own physical needs without intrusion.  
  
It had been more than a few times when Aeka had caught the pirate pleasuring herself in Tenchi's bed while he was gone, resulting in arguments about her morality and self-control, two of the many things the princess would continually point out to Ryoko that she lacked. After too many interruptions, she found the one place that shielded her from the eyes of undesirable onlookers, an excellent spot where no one would be around to judge her for what she thought was perfectly natural... the onsen.   
  
However, the beauty of the evening and the opportunity to relieve the ever building sexual tension was far from her mind tonight. Instead this lovely vixen was enslaved by the occurrences of the day, relivingit in a way, trying to decipher what it was exactly that had set theprincess off even as the day progressed.  
  
Keeping her distance didn't seem to help, as Aeka would pop up almost everywhere she went. After Washu had declared Sasami well enough toleave the lab, they filed out of the portal and began to escort the child up to her room to finish her recovery. However they had bumpedinto Aeka along the way, causing the older princess to lose her temperwhen she had noticed the pirate. Aeka snatched her sister away fromthe group, as if to protect her from a terrible fate, and demanded thatTenchi ban the pirate from the home as well as the solar system.  
  
After Aeka's outburst, Ryoko had spent most of the day sitting in her favorite tree, doing the same exact thing she was doing now...thinking. What had she done that was so wrong? She had always thought of Aeka as being so uptight that she could suck a brick out of a wall just by standing in front of it, but she had played with Sasami many times and never had she gotten THAT kind of reaction.   
  
Well, that wasn't completely true.  
  
The first time they were reunited after 700 years, Aeka had warned her sister not to get too close to her, but after a while her heart softened a bit. A few insults would be exchanged but that's as far as it went, sometimes.  
  
Aeka's words rang in her ears just as if they had just been spoken, and they hurt. Those words were just as painful as the things Kagato had said to her, if not more.   
  
The possibility of indefinite exile was almost too much to bear as tears began to well up inside of her, causing her eyes to burn and her vision to blur. To never see her friends again, to leave the only home she had ever known was like a dagger being pierced through her heart, being twisted over and over. Most of all, the only man she had ever cared for would be gone forever. To never hear his voice or look upon his lovely face was worse than any death she could imagine.  
  
Not wanting to think about it anymore, Ryoko floated out of the once still waters of the bath and landed on the wooden deck, a trail of droplets splattering on the flooring as she went about finding a towel with which to dry herself with. There would be no chance for release tonight, both from the memories of the day and of personal satisfaction. The evening seemed an endless sea of thought and ticking uncertainties as with one last glance, Ryoko phased out of existance from the secluded place she once regarded as her own personal sanctuary.  
  
Washu sat in her lab as she had done every night since her arrival on this backwater planet, typing on her translucent keypad with a speed unmatched by anyone she had ever known. But instead of working on some grand experiment or figuring out other ways to extract certain samples from her favorite guinea pig, she was busily entering data from one of Noboyuki's sketch pads, an apparent schematic of the house with several new renovations he had been planning for some time. Even though he had not volunteered the information, Washu didn't think he would mind if she took it upon herself to not only repair the damage, but also expand the house a bit as well.   
  
The red-headed scientist exhaled heavily as she entered a final series of keystrokes, pleased that all of the information was now downloaded into one of the many toys she had lying around her lab. Excited to see the fruits her labor again come to fruition, Washu hopped off her levitating cushion and headed for the exit, stretching out the kinks that had now become a common occurance in her life.  
  
Within moments she arrived in the main corridor, checking each room on the ground floor to find someone with whom she could show off her talents to. Looking into the dinning area, Washu's attention was drawn to a small piece of white-lined paper (apparently a page from one of Tenchi's notebooks) lying on the table along with an ornate white carafe, of what she suspected to be green tea. Washu inquisitively retrieved the note, a disappointed groan escaping her throat as she read it. Her hopes of bragging about her scientific expertise where shot down as the black script read as so:  
  
Little Washu,  
  
Dad, Grandpa, Mihoshi and I went out for  
  
dinner. We would have invited you to   
  
come along, but we did not want to disturb  
  
you while you worked. Aeka is upstairs  
  
with Sasami if you need anything. Don't  
  
worry, we'll bring something home for  
  
you and the others.  
  
Be back shortly,  
  
Tenchi  
  
P.S. Dad didn't take it very well when  
  
he found out what happened, so please  
  
take it easy on him when we return.  
  
Thanks  
  
The short woman fanned the paper back and forth as she contemplated the text. Aeka was upstairs, and maybe the only person at the moment who would appreciate the beauty within her creation, or what would come about from the use of it. However she quickly disregarded the notion, remembering that the princess would be all too busy taking care of her young charge, thus adding to the fact that a request for Aeka to observe such an event would be tasteless, if not tactless.  
  
After a brief bout of depression, a small grin began to cross her face as an idea sprang into her mind. If no one was their to witness the unveiling of the repairs as they happened, then what better than to have such a wonderful surprise waiting for them upon their return.  
  
Washu tossed the note onto the table without giving it or the tea a second look and wisked off toward the kitchen, or what was left of it. The greatest scientist in the universe summoned her holo-top computer for the umpteenth time that day as she scrutinized the attempted patch work Tenchi and his grandfather had started, but failed to finish. Large pieces of pressed wood covered most of the impact zone while sheets of plastic kept the outdoor elements at bay, resembling the fix-it job the men had done at the hotsprings just a few years earlier.  
  
After punching several more commands, the area began to glow a bright blue, like a small planet gone supernova but only half as dangerous. Just as quickly as it had started, the light faded, revealing an entrance way where there once was none. Beyond the opening was a rather spacious climate-controled room made entirely of the same material which covered the bathing area Ryoko had created, allowing the beauty of the mountain side to be gazed upon by all who had entered, yet keeping nature from infringing on those who dwelt within it. Inside this new room were beautiful as well as practical furnishings consisting of a chabudai with intricit carvings of cranes and cherry blossoms, a matching credenza, and several billowy pillows   
  
adorned in silk leaning against an equally stunning chaise lounge. Candles and other ornamental articles of various shapes and sizes completed the look.  
  
Washu stood proud and tall, admiring her work as if no one in the entire galaxy could ever improve upon her genius. It wasn't exactly what Noboyuki had designed, but it was perfect thanks to her mastery. What would they ever do without her.  
  
The sound of an upstairs door sliding open and shut interupted the small woman's admiration of herself. Now was the moment of truth.  
  
Aeka emerged from the staircase carrying a tray with two saucers and a stout kettle, looking slightly disheveled as she tried to keep her focus on the task at hand. The princess didn't notice Washu nor the new addition as she strode toward the sink basin, apparently deep in thought.  
  
"Well hello Lady Aeka, and how is young Sasami doing?" the scientist asked with much reserve, both cautious to the woman's state and naturally concerned about the child's recovery.  
  
Aeka jumped at the sound of Washu's voice, barely keeping the items on the platter as they swayed and clattered from the jolt. She had not expected the woman to be around, considering all of the work she had been putting into her laboratory as of late.   
  
"She is faring quite well, Little Washu, thank you for asking." Aeka replied, trying to appear as stately as she was able to at the moment. The violet-haired princess was in no mood for chit-chat, and understandibly so.   
  
Not only did she have to deal and be reminded of the episode, but now her own sister wasn't speaking with her, and this angered her even more. Why was she being made to feel like the bully here? Couldn't Sasami see that she was only trying to protect her? And where had she gotten the idea that it was her that the girl should be upset with?  
  
This lead to her suspicion that, somehow, Ryoko must have gotten to the child when Aeka wasn't around, using her own brand of self-serving manipulation to convince her sister that such a well-bred, proper Jurian Noble was capable of unprovoked brutality. And for this reason, among  
  
others, Aeka refused to leave Sasami's side, even when it meant having to refuse going out for beef bowls at Hashimoto's Grill despite her stomach's insistance that she take nourishment.   
  
So here she was, hungry and drained, shunned by her own flesh and blood all the while keeping a constant eye out for the one person who had caused all of her distress, and that individual just happened to be Washu's magnum opus of sorts. However no matter how much she held contempt for the vile creature, she could not in her heart hold the dwarf-like prodigy totally accountable, even though it was because of her that such an animal was able to exist. The scientist was just as much of a victim of Ryoko's distructive nature and lies as any of them. Besides, she was also a prisoner of Kagato's evil plot to overthrow the galaxy and she didn't seem to be filled with the same hostility as the pirate, and if so, the woman didn't act upon those emotions as the later of the two always had.   
  
"And how are you?" Washu asked, again with great interest and worry.  
  
"Under the circumstances I would say that I am holding up rather well." Aeka again half-heartedly replied.   
  
"Like a true princess of Jurai, I would suspect."  
  
Aeka didn't exactly know how to react to such a statement and simply stood her ground. It was always like Washu to make a remark like that, the problem was deciphering it's meaning as sarcastic or truely genuine.  
  
"Have you seen Ryoko?" the deminutive scholar asked, only to be answered with a scowling eye.   
  
The air around them became thick and uncomfortable as the silence grew,   
  
neither of them exactly sure of how to escape it's deafening grip.   
  
"You know, I think I may have something that will help you relax a bit." Washu finally uttered, seeing a chance to not only reveal the new room she created, but also taking the liberty of getting the deceptively frail looking girl into a juncture of questioning without her realizing it.   
  
The red-head showed the newly appointed archway to Aeka, who showed more interest in the favorable desire to sit in repose than in the actual structure itself. The princess's lack of enthusiasm for the architectual wonder only mildly irked Washu, who contributed her indifference to the stresses of the day and thus forced herself to hide her aggravation.  
  
"Oops, excuse me just a moment." the scientist chirped, walking into the kitchen and disappearing around the corner.  
  
Aeka waited patiently for Washu's return while gingerly taking a seat on the new chaise, staring at her hands rather than look at the artistry surrounding her. The explosive situation earlier that afternoon had forced her to reflect on not only the incident 700 years ago, but also the time Aeka had spent with Ryoko during their quest to locate Tenchi. She honestly thought that the demon had changed her ways, she had actually kept her outrageous, not to mention embarrasing mannerizims to a minimum, although still showing her impetuous nature. But that was the way Ryoko was, and she had grown to accept that fact in what she thought was a newly found friend. Spending more time with the pirate had also made her more aware of her own nasty assumptions, admiting to herself that Ryoko was not a bad person, and therefore making her more understanding of the sorry state of affairs that   
  
Kagato had created for her. Butnow, after seeing what she had done to her own family made her doubt the woman's sincerity, believing she had been played like a fiddle just to achieve her own personal goal...Tenchi's favor.  
  
To make matters worse, her own sister was not speaking to her. After her interaction with the group as they emerged from Washu's lab, Aeka requested that her brother/Tenchi's Grandfather carry the young child upstairs to their bedroom so that she could better care for her. The whole time they were up there alone, Sasami continually berated the older sibling for saying such cruel things, even as Aeka impressed upon her the reason for her actions. To Aeka, she was simply trying to protect her sister and everyone else involved, reminding the youth most sternly of the seriousness regarding the situation. However Sasami had made her feel as if she had just done a grave injustice, like she had just accused an innocent person of something so heinous a crime no law-abiding citizen could possibly comprehend.  
  
This was something the first princess just couldn't understand. Even Tenchi was acting funny toward her, walking on egg shells, as it were, whenever he came near. The only remarks Tenchi would utter to her were the same as Washu's, while treating her as if she were a flower rapidly withering away. Surely she wasn't as crazy and so fragile as everyone appeared to be thinking of her as of late.  
  
In the midst of her thoughts, the pride of Juria's Royal Family failed to notice Washu's return, holding the same tray that Aeka had brought with her from upstairs. On it, she carried the carafe from the dining room table that was left for her, along with two matching saucers.  
  
Aeka, again startled by the rather adroit inventor, acknowledged Washu's  
  
presence as she set the offering down on the table. She was quite surprised, however, to find that the scientist was no longer a small, child-like enigma, as the woman preferred. Instead, Washu had shed her normal facade, returning herself to her natural state of over twenty thousand years old. It was to her own admition, Aeka had reminded herself, that Washu elected to appear younger than she actually was, refusing to grow up due to the pain she had suffered long ago. Still, this widely known information did not make it any easier to absorb the shock of seeing her this way.  
  
"I thought you might like some tea." the now comparitively beautiful red-head stated softly.  
  
"Please excuse my saying so, little..."  
  
"Miss," Washu interupted, warming her usually cool exterior with a well meaning smile. "You may call me Miss Washu."  
  
"Sorry, Miss Washu." Aeka corrected herself, again deverting her gaze to her hands folded inside of her lap. "I'm very grateful for your concern as well as your hospitality, however I'm afraid that I must decline your willingness to share your company with me, as I wish to be alone."  
  
"And I must insist that you join me in a bit of tea and conversation," the scientist rebutted, keeping her voice smooth as not to upset Aeka. "I can sense that you have a lot on your mind, and I have been told that I'm an exeptionally good listener."  
  
"I am afraid that you cannot quite understand my plight, Miss Washu." Aeka replied, trying her best to dissuade the woman into any kind of discussion what so ever.  
  
"Try me." Washu quipped.   
  
Seeing as how she wasn't going to snake her way out of it, Aeka sighed deeply. She quietly reached out to pour herself some tea when Washu started to clear her throat, apparently trying to get the princess's attention. Aeka gave a questioning glance to Washu, a little annoyed that the genius would make it seem that she had inadvertantly commited a great faux pas, only to be answered by the full grown woman waving a bottle of a rather powerful brand of sake in front of her.   
  
"I thought that maybe this might help us along." And with that said, Washu opened the carafe and started to pour some of the intoxicant into the tea. Judging just how much she wanted to add, she promptly capped the half empty bottle and discarded it next to her on the floor, where she sat and began to pour the mixture into the two saucers.  
  
Aeka accepted the palliative concoction with almost restrained enthusiasm and gulped it down, only to be strongly reminded of its potency as it burned her throat, causing her to gulp for air.  
  
"Easy there, Miss Aeka. This stuff isn't your usual sake you know." Washu cautioned the younger woman.   
  
"You could have told me that sooner," the princess admonished between gasps of air. After finally regaining her somber demeanor, Aeka accepted another bowl of the spiked tea, making sure to sip slowly and avoid further embarrasment.  
  
Several minutes of more quiet and five bowls of alcoholic tea later, Washu thought of a way to get the princess to talk.   
  
"You miss them, don't you?" Washu asked softly, taking the chance that the first princess might continue to ignore her and walk away.  
  
The first princess reluctantly shook her head in affirmative fashion, understanding what Washu was talking about. It was true that she missed her family and her home planet a great deal, but due to the circumstances as of late, there was no way she could return to Jurai. If Aeka left to resume her duties as the future Empress, she would have to leave Tenchi behind, with no protection against the vile creature residing in his home.   
  
Another option was to say here, along side the man she so desperately loved, but even that plan was riddled with flaws. Her father would come for her eventually, just as he had done before, and remind her of her obligation to her people. If she professed her adoration for the young man, Azusa would forbid there union through his last dying breath, therefore threatening Tenchi's life in the process.  
  
Then there were the citizens of Jurai, most of whom believed in the old ways. If it were ever found out that Aeka's heart belonged to a humanoid from a virtually unknown sector, they would look upon her and her family as unworthy, quite possibly rendering the entire Jurian kingdom asunder.  
  
Another thought was to denounce her royal standing, leaving Sasami as the successor to the throne. However she knew of the untold heartache the child would feel, as Aeka would have in fact dumped all of her problems on her sister, and that was something she just couldn't do.  
  
So here she was, stuck in the perverbial rock and a hard place, with no clear answer. Disgrace her family and possibly destroy the future of her people, or thrust her only sister into a future engulfed in uncertainties and emotional burdens. Either way, Aeka's dream of living a happy and fulfilling life with the man who had taken her heart would never come true.  
  
Aeka screamed as loud as she could, letting years of oppression and inner strife be cast out as if doing so would cure her of some infernal disease. Once again she directed all of her rage at the one entity she felt was the cause.  
  
"This all that damn monster woman's fault!! If she hadn't taken my brother away from me..." Aeka began, but cut herself short as her throat clenched shut and the tears began to fall again.  
  
Washu's eyes widened as the words reached her ears, though not entirely  
  
shocked at what the princess was saying. The genius was well aware of how Aeka had come to Earth, as well as the rivalry between her daughter and the princess. The only thing that surprised Washu was how loud this woman was capable of yelling, as well as how Aeka was still upset at Ryoko for what had happened centuries ago. Like all the others, Washu had assumed that all the bickering was soley about Tenchi, but now that seemed to be far from the truth.  
  
Washu offered the overwrought princess another cup of tea, hoping that the gesture of friendship would help alleviate some of her inner pain. Instead Aeka ignored the endeavor, opting to lunge for the bottle of alcohol sitting next to the genius in an attempt to drown her sorrows in its anesthetic properties.   
  
Aeka took a long pull of the bottle despite Washu's objections, only to contort her face in an almost amusing way. Unlike her nemesis, the princess had a low tolerance for anything potent as the brew began its assault on her senses, causing her mind became a cloud of entangled thoughts.  
  
Washu got up from where she sat and approached the emotive heiress, her suspicions as to what exactly happened earlier that afternoon coming back to her.  
  
"Lady Aeka, tell me everything that happened after lunch today."  
  
Aeka was caught off guard by the prodigy's request as she began to dry her tears with the sleeve of her kimono. It seemed to her that she had explained everything she knew a hundred times that day, and yet Washu was acting as if she had taken the situation completely out of context. The idea that this woman would think Ryoko was somehow innocent of the charges Aeka accused her of was not a surprise to her, as she was known to favor her achievements from time to time. It was the notion that Washu herself was choosing to be blind when it came to that monster's psychotic behavior that had caught her off guard.  
  
Still, the princess took a deep breath and related all that happened as Washu listened intently.  
  
"I was in the other room watching my favorite story when I heard a rather noisy disturbance coming from the kitchen..."  
  
"Uh-huh. What exactly did you hear?" the genius interjected, very curiously.  
  
A little miffed at the interuption and the question, Aeka continued. "You know, the kind of commotion that beast always creates around here."  
  
Washu simply gave the princess a disapproving look, urging her to spill the exact details without all the unnecessary remarks.  
  
Aeka forced herself to remember precisely what those sounds were that called her attention earlier. The only recollections she had were the horrific sounds of her sister's cries coming from the other room. As the screams echoed through her mind, flashbacks again battered her whithering soul. The sights, the smells, almost as real as they were seven hundred years ago.  
  
The usually regal woman shook her head, a vain attempt to free her self from the virtual prison of centuries gone by, once more losing her composure to the will of her emotions and the tainted tea swimming around in her gut.  
  
"I can't remember exactly," Aeka spat back, standing up so abrubtly that Washu was afraid she would suffer from whiplash. "I do remember entering the room and finding that cur hanging my little sister by the ankles!! Is that proof enough for you to believe me?"  
  
Washu didn't budge from her spot, but held her hands out as a signal for the princess to calm down and return to her seat. Instead of her graceful movements, Aeka plopped back down like a wet burlap sack and gulped down several more mouthfuls of alcohol as she began to sway from side to side.  
  
"All I'm saying Lady Aeka," Washu spoke matter-of-factly after another long stretch of quietude, "is that I know that Ryoko does do and has done a lot of tastless and objectionable things. But there is one thing that I am sure of..."  
  
"And what is that?" Aeka cut in harshly, staring at the scientist with red-eyed fury.  
  
"One thing that I'm sure of is that Ryoko would never intentionally hurt a child, especially one she has grown so fond of." the genius finished.  
  
Aeka scoffed at the idea that Ryoko was anything but a treacherous, low-life killer who cared for anyone but herself, especially when it came to anyone connected to the Jurai Royal Family. Before she could rebut Washu's statement, a soft female voice spoke up, followed by the smell of freshly prepared food.   
  
Both women turned their heads, suddenly aware that they were no longer alone. There, in the doorway of the renovated kitchen stood Mihoshi, carrying two paper bags with what they assumed was the food from the restaurant.  
  
"I'm sorry," the blond detective stated softly, quite aware of the first princess's agitated state. "I don't mean to interupt, but we have your dinner and I'm sure you must be very hungry."  
  
Aeka rose from her seat with the bottle still in her hand and rushed past the woman without a second look, very irritated at having been both spoken to by Washu and at the knowledge of being seen in a manner unbecoming a woman of her stature. But before she could straighten herself out, the smell of cooked beef and rice wafted through the air, making the first princess rather nausious. Mihoshi simply stared after Aeka as she ran for the upstairs bathroom while holding her hand to her mouth, dropping the bottle she was carrying in the process. Before it could shatter, a small portal opened just above the impact point, allowing the item to fall into it. The opening disappeared just as it had came into existance, without a sound.  
  
Mihoshi's attention turned from the princess to the still full grown version of Washu.   
  
"She'll be ok, just give her time." Washu said to Mihoshi, anticipating the question before the detective had a chance to ask.  
  
A small child stood within a vast blackness, calling out frantically for someone to rescue her from the never-ending void. Within moments the almost transparent figure of Ryoko appeared, looking pitiful as ribbons of smoke wafted around her.  
  
Sasami ran headlong at her friend, the absence of her foot falls as the child took off going without notice. Sasami stopped dead in her tracts as a gleam caught her eye. Through the smoke the girl noticed large black shackles holding Ryoko up into the space surrounding them both, yet bolted to nothing. A low humming sound resounded against walls that weren't there, slowly and steadily growing louder until the noise began to hurt the young noble's ears.  
  
"Stop it!" Sasami screamed, holding her hands to her ears in an attempt to block out the sound. The voices spat vile expressions of contempt at the woman before her as Sasami tried to sheild her senses from the verbal assault. Just as she was about to scream again, Sasami witnessed two more figures emerge from the blackness; one of which resembled her sister, Aeka.  
  
"Aeka?" the child cried, tears beginning to run from her eyes.   
  
Without any consideration for the young princess's presence, Aeka turned to her defeated captive, the Tenchi-ken in her hand just like she had in the beginning, and thrust the hilt into Ryoko's side.  
  
"Aeka stop it please! Don't hurt her!" Sasami screamed, helpless to do anything as the former pirate's body began to posture out of control, the loud voices now laughing and taunting Ryoko throughout her torture.  
  
Sasami shut her eyes in disbelief, continuing to plead with Aeka to stop before it got out of hand.  
  
In the midst of a dark upstairs bedroom, a small child awoke, completely covered with sweat and shaking from fear. Her emblem on her forehead glowing earily in the moonlight as she called out for anyone to come to her side. No one came.  
  
============  
  
Author's note: Sorry it took so long, again. I kinda wrote myself in a corner, but I hope I took care of it to your liking. I'm working on chapter 4, but that too will take a while. It is almost summer vacation and it's gonna be a busy one. I won't give up though until my story is finished. I pray the next chapter is better. Again, comments are welcome.   
  
Thanx again to Dudeman for proofreading, where would I be without you (by the way, you're due for your monthly spanking. LOL)  
  
Mistress-Ryoko  
  
"E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium" -Jay and Silent Bob 


	4. The Morning After

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, never will, don't sue, I'm poor, yada yada, my work, don't steal, get permission, give credit, blah blah.  
  
WARNING! Read at own risk! May have swears and other 'taboo' subjects.  
  
Other than that, read on McDuff...  
  
Of Dreams and Reality   
  
Chapter 4   
  
"The Morning After"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A dim ray of light from the overcast sky forced its way into Tenchi's room, softly illuminating his face as he stared at the texture of the ceiling above. The ticking of the clock sounded like a drum through the stillness, dutifully noting the seconds, as they seemed to slowly pass into the next. The dark circles under the young man's eyes told of countless hours of sleeplessness and inner torture, damning him to a night of tossing and turning.  
  
Tenchi struggled to comprehend the tangled web that was his life and the impact of the events that had taken place just yesterday. Every question left unanswered came back to haunt him, leaving him weary, drained of emotion and strength, as if the whole universe had somehow opened up its very core an dumped every bit of unwanted suffering upon him. What had he done that was so wrong for him to deserve this, what had Sasami done? Was his existence merely to be the marionette of some sadistic being, to be twisted and tugged into so many directions that his own force of will couldn't save him? Or was this entirely his own fault, the product of untold years or indecision and sheer incompetence.  
  
Tenchi rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, a vain attempt at clearing his mind of uninvited thoughts as well as the reminder of the day to come.  
  
How could he face the girls today after all that had transpired, feeling that familiar twinge of guilt mixed with anger strike through his heart? Guilty that he was the cause of all their bickering and sorrow, angry at their selfishness and lack of understanding.  
  
And so he lay there, pondering what he should do about the two women and what their outburst had done; destroyed part of his home and most importantly, the injury of little Sasami. It was well known that he regarded them all as his extended family, but there was no excuse for what had taken place and thus endangering the life of the young princess.  
  
The scene from that afternoon kept playing over and over in his mind, like a record player stuck between two uncooperative grooves. Suspicion pushed its way through the fog in his head as he remembered seeing Ryoko, her body draped over the little girl beneath her. It didn't seem to be the outcome of one of their bitter squabbles regarding his heart, but with those two, who could be sure.  
  
Tenchi had thought long and hard about what to do about the girls, and sooner or later it would all come down to brass tacks. He didn't want to lose any of them, but if things kept going the way they were heading, the possibility of making them leave would become a definite reality. Although his life seemed dull and meaningless before the girls had arrived, it now felt like an eternal struggle for survival, having only but a short reprieve before the whole scenario would play itself out again.  
  
Slowly, Tenchi raised himself into a seated position in an attempt to get up and begin his day, a day that he was sure was not going to go well at all. A deep foreboding clung to him, a feeling that he couldn't shake no matter how hard he tried, pulling him back into the unsettling thoughts that had stolen him away from possible slumber that entire evening.  
  
He hadn't made much headway in learning what exactly happened between the two women, as his questions were either answered with scowling faces, tears or ignored altogether. And that was just Aeka's reactions. Tenchi had seen neither hide nor hair of Ryoko since that afternoon, and this bothered him quiet a bit. He had gone to look for her after dinner, checking the many places she was known to frequent when she wanted to be alone, only to be met with darkness and the biting cold of an early winter.  
  
Even with his concerns for the other girls, the young male was more worried about the youngest of his houseguests, Sasami. The image of the poor child lying in a puddle of water and blood was seared into his memory. Washu had stated that she would be fine, but it didn't make it any easier to deal with. It was a miracle to him that she had escaped with minor injuries, knowing the powers held by both Ryoko and Aeka, Sasami could have easily been seriously hurt, or even worse, had been killed because of their negligence.  
  
Tenchi looked down and noticed he was clutching his comforter in a white knuckled grip, a testament to his anger regarding the situation. Yes, he was angry with them, angry that both women were responsible for the youngest princess's state, regardless of who started it and whatnot.  
  
With much hesitation Tenchi released the covers, his grasp leaving a multitude of wrinkles in the blue fabric as he tossed it aside. Tenchi scrutinized his bedding with a look of disgust. Where he once looked at it as a sanctuary from the everyday hustle and bustle, he now saw it as a punishment of sorts.  
  
If life during his waking hours was disturbing, Tenchi's state of peaceful repose (when one was able to achieve it) was nothing less than an indescribable hell. Since his return from the alternate universe, all he could dream about was her and the love that never was bet felt undeniably real within every fiber of his being. And he hated it; hated being mentally chained to an apparition as lovely as Haruna. Still, he couldn't hold it against her; the woman who so desperately wanted to lead the life she craved and felt she deserved, but was denied so long ago. He pitied her in a way, and waited her just as much. Tenchi didn't mind, well...kind of. Reenacting the few precious moments they had shared together before the illusion was gone seemed a welcome retreat from the constant war that plagued his conscious life, embracing the world he himself had created in peaceful lucidity. However the knowledge of never having her in reality hurt almost as much as the truth itself; feeling that she had used him for her own selfish purpose was almost consuming.  
  
Again, Tenchi rubbed his hands against his face, determined to rid himself of the haze of a sleepless night and the thoughts that inundated him, but again it didn't help.  
  
"A normal life, that's all I've ever wanted" he told himself as he let his arms drop to his sides, bracing himself as he turned to the side so that his feet settled onto the cold, hardwood floor.  
  
"Why can't I have a normal life?" he asked himself as he gazed out of his bedroom window. Tenchi hardly took notice of the soft white flakes of snow that had been falling from the sky, covering the earth below so that the landscape was almost unrecognizable as the towering trees stood along side the house, wearing nothing but their winter's best.  
  
'Is it fate? Am I destined to live a life where every aspect of it is predetermined by some greater power?' the young Masaki continued to question. The very idea that Tenchi was nothing more than a pawn was once again both disturbing and anger provoking. There had to be more to his life than what was already laid out for him.  
  
With laggard movements, Tenchi rose from his bed and schlepped over to his closet, the muscles in his neck and back aching from lack of proper rest as well as from the anxiety of his undesirable circumstances, making him feel older beyond his years. Where he once learned to accept his position, he had now grown to dislike it.  
  
Tenchi continued to ponder his situation while gathering his bathing supplies, determined to get in a nice soak in the bath alone before anyone else had the chance to do so. He had asked himself many times why he didn't take control, either by leaving himself or by sending the girls out on their own, at least he could live as he wanted, without interruption or havoc. He just didn't have the guts to act upon it. Whether it be because he would truly miss them, or because he had promised Aeka, he had stayed and let them continue on there.  
  
After collecting all that he needed, Tenchi quietly slid the door open, letting a small breeze of cool air create goosebumps on his exposed skin. He stuck his head out into the hall, listening intently to hear if anyone was up and bout. The house seemed rather empty and silent, definitely not like it usually was, and Tenchi found thins quite unsettling. He had become accustomed to the smell of Sasami's cooking and the sounds of others preparing for the day, but it was still rather early, even for him, and there would be no sweet aromas coming up from the kitchen today. He had to remind himself that the resident genius had ordered the young princess to bed rest for the remainder of the week.  
  
Finding that everything was clear, Tenchi slowly exited his room and with tender footing, made his way down the hall. Maybe a little hot water and steam would help clear his mind.  
  
--------  
  
It was rather dark in the laboratory of the greatest scientist who had ever lived in the known universe, as the light of morning wasn't able to penetrate due to its subspace existence. The only signs of life were that of the low humming sounds emitting from the many instruments housed within, and of course the mild snoring of one red-headed genius.  
  
There in the dimly lit recesses of her lab was Washu, slumped over one of the consoles used to monitor several large containment tubes, a small spattering of drool collecting on the corner of her gaping mouth and beginning to pool onto the equipment.   
  
It had been a long, harrowing night for the diminutive scholar, who had spent most of the evening trying to contact her daughter to find out exactly what she had done to upset the eldest princess. Washu was quite aware of Ryoko's numerous successes when it came to pissing off the Jurian, and knew of Tenchi's attempts of pleading with them to stop their quarreling, to no avail. But still, something about the whole affair seemed out of sync, and so she had to talk to Ryoko so that she could get her side of the story, just as she had done with Aeka.  
  
Unfortunately, her attempts proved fruitless as the former pirate had blocked their shared link, and all surveillance equipment failed to establish the woman's whereabouts. Sometimes Washu regretted having endowed her creation with such a vast array of abilities; especially the power to simply disappear and remain undetected.  
  
And so it came to be that the scientist kept busy, keeping to heart the old adage 'idle hands are the devil's playground'. If she thought too hard about the scuffle that had nearly killed the culinary wonder, it would have only made for one giant headache.   
  
So in true form, Washu had decided to keep herself busy with the one thing that she loved, science, only to find herself thinking back to the conversation between her and the eldest princess. Something just didn't fit and she was determined to find out for sure what was going on.  
  
After a while, the diminutive woman unwillingly succumbed to the world of dreams, her work station now becoming an impromptu sleeping area as her head rested on the control panel while her arms hung limply at her sides.  
  
Washu was jarred awake from her unexpected nap by a rather loud beeping noise coming from behind, causing her to almost fall off her hovering cushion. She turned her head in the direction of the disturbance, silently berating herself for falling asleep in the midst of important scientific research. Summoning a sub-dimensional pocket, Washu extracted a tissue to wipe away the saliva that had accumulated on her face and equipment, and promptly disposed of it into another portal as she headed towards the alarm.  
  
A bit too weary to perform the necessary task manually, she began giving commands verbally to nobody in particular.  
  
"Computer, activate vocal command program 8276. Password: MechaWashu"   
  
After several quick tones, a deep male mechanical voice replied to the scientist's request.   
  
Vocalization and password confirmed. Program activated. Good morning   
  
Professor Washu.   
  
"Computer, what's with all the racket?" she demanded haughtily.  
  
Incoming interstellar communication. Status: Urgent  
  
"Well patch it through!"   
  
Within seconds, a distorted image of a flustered teal-haired woman with dark-blue eyes emerged on a holographic screen. The insignia on the uniform as the image blipped in and out through the static told Washu that it was Kiyone, appearing to be screaming incoherently into her console as the distortion impaired both the sound as well as the picture.  
  
Experiencing interference due to unstable weather patterns. Attempting comm-link reconfiguration the voice said in a banausic tone.  
  
"Switch to a secure channel." Washu called out irritably. A deep yawn escaped her lungs, a reminder of just how tired she really was. She made a mental note, citing that she would have to forego any experiments tonight and get some much-needed rest.  
  
After several seconds, the image had improved greatly, relieving some of the frustration between both the officer and the scientist.  
  
Proper alignment complete. came the monotone announcement.  
  
Before the bleary-eyed, egotistical genius could say a word, Kiyone blurted out what she had been trying to say.  
  
"Washu, I need your help..."  
  
-----------  
  
Well inside a modest home sheltered deep within the Okayama Prefecture, two men sat at the center of a newly renovated kitchen; one of great age and wisdom, the other of average maturity and burdened with the stresses of deadlines. Both knew full well the changes that had taken place amongst their extended family, however neither of them cognizant of just how much more was about to take place.  
  
Katsuhito sat at the reconstructed island that occupied the spot where it's predecessor once stood, quietly sipping his tea as the first light of the clouded dawn forced it's way through the windows. Before him sat his only son-in-law, content in flipping through his morning paper, a piece of half-eaten toast and a small cup of coffee close by.  
  
"According to this, we're in for some harsh weather this afternoon." Nobuyuki stated, pointing to a weather report on one of the pages. He looked over at the window to gaze outside, taking note of the already falling snow. "Looks like we got a few inches already."  
  
The elder responded with only a slight nod, holding the earthen mug between his asperous hands. The light sound of creaking floorboards alerted him to his grandson's rise. No matter how many people occupied the house, he could always distinguish between him and the girls, a definite advantage from his days as a trained warrior and Prince of Jurai.  
  
"Tenchi's up rather early, must've had a rough night." Katsuhito spoke matter-of-factly.  
  
"Yeah, I heard him get up several times last night. He must be pretty worried about what happened. Maybe I should have a talk with him."  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it. He'll pull through, just as he always has. He is much stronger than you give him credit for."  
  
Nobuyuki said nothing as he folded his paper, placing it next to what he considered to be his breakfast. Picking up his coffee cup, he silently mourned the absence of Sasami's wonderful cooking skills. He always thought she needed a day off or two, he just wished it hadn't required such an unfortunate event to do so.  
  
With a deep sigh, Tenchi's father arose from his seat and walked over to the new room that Washu had added, marveling at its grand simplicity. Nobuyuki felt very lucky to have such a gifted as well as intelligent woman residing in his home. It helped save the family's finances quite a bit as he didn't have to dole out any cash towards building supplies and laborers, not to mention the insurance premiums that sky rocketed the last time the girls decided to rearrange the walls. Still, he hoped that whatever had the girls at odds with each other, it would soon come to an end. It didn't calm one's nerves to know that their home was a virtual battlefield.   
  
Nobuyuki absentmindedly scratched the back of his head, much like his son would do when confronted with certain situations. He had thought that after Tenchi's return that the bickering had stopped, at least the destructive part, as they had seemed to realize at the time that their constant fighting was in part their fault for his disappearance. But yesterday was yet another example of good things never lasting for very long. Maybe, just maybe, some things couldn't be resolved between the two women, but what ever it was, it was lost on him.   
  
Just as Katsuhito was about to join his younger counterpart in the unique structure that was now a part of their home, the creaking of the closet door beneath the stairs caught the elder's attention.  
  
"It's a bit early for Washu to be up. Mihoshi's not awake, is she?" the older man mused, knowing full well about the incident that had taken place between the detective and the genius just yesterday.  
  
Nobuyuki was about to reply to his father-in-law's remark when Washu crossed the threshold between the living room and kitchen, a serious look furrowing her child-like brow.  
  
"Lord Yosho," Washu began, her voice eerily calm. "I need to speak with you and the others."   
  
"What is it, Miss Washu? Is something wrong?" asked the shrine keeper.  
  
The diminutive woman simply looked at him, her eyes conveying something that filled his heart with dread. It had to be very serious if she was calling him by his Jurian title, something nobody in the house ever did.  
  
Without saying a word, the Shinto priest did as he was directed, stolidly heading for the stairs to awaken the rest of the house.  
  
-------  
  
The First Crown Princess of Jurai's Royal Family plodded unceremoniously into the living room, a far cry from the usual disposition befitting a woman of her station, and understandably so. Having only ten minutes in which to properly dress and groom as per her brother's request was unheard of in Aeka's book, especially when one was still recovering from last night's over consumption of Washu's special sake. It was only with sheer will that the princess was able to make herself even remotely presentable, all the while having felt like her skull was being hammered on from the inside out.  
  
From behind Aeka, Sasami emerged, complete with Ryo-Ohki perched between the child's two light blue ponytails. The sight of Sasami and the cabbit would have been considered by most a Hallmark moment, only the little princess's expression was far from being just that. Her usually bright pink eyes were downcast, accentuated by dark circles, and her shoulders were slumped low in a posture of implied defeat. To look at her in such a manner would make anyone feel pitiful condolence, insinuating she had lost a close pet or something worse.  
  
Both Aeka and Sasami took their places on the large wine-colored sofa, patiently waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. Hesitantly, the older of the two surveyed the room to see who had come and who had not. Tenchi sat alone on the matching loveseat on the far right side of the room, and this relieved the princess somewhat. Usually that immoral demon would teasingly sit ever so close to him, declaring the piece of furniture as the Masaki/Hakubi marriage throne and then punctuate her outrageous claim with an equally egregious display of affection for Tenchi, much to the dismay of the poor man. Thankfully Ryoko was nowhere to be seen for the moment.  
  
Aeka cringed, both at the thought of that rogue beast molesting Lord Tenchi and of the hangover that lingered more ferociously than before. Washu approached the Jurian woman with a look of concern, and with as much secrecy as she was able to accomplish at the moment, handed Aeka a small yellow pill and a glass of water.   
  
"This will take care of that nasty headache." the little genius whispered rather quietly into Aeka's ear, causing the future Empress to flinch as the sound of Washu's voice felt like a primal scream rather than a soft murmur.  
  
With much effort, Aeka accepted the items from her, having known from Ryoko's past experiences with excessive alcohol intake that this would help alleviate her pain. The violet-tressed princess gingerly placed the pill on her tongue and promptly took a small sip of the water, hoping that this would quickly deliver her from the perils of her distress.  
  
Aeka placed the glass ever so gently onto the table in front of her and resumed her assessment of the situation. Behind Tenchi stood her brother Yosho and his daughter's widower. Whereas Nobuyuki looked just as perplexed as some of the others, Yosho's expression spoke both volumes and yet, at the same time, spoke nothing at all. His wrinkled brow holding the same look as he had all those centuries ago, before he went to fight the demon Ryoko, before he disappeared from her life without so much as a backward glance.  
  
Aeka's recollection of her brother before his disappearance caused her head to reel as if her hangover had returned with a vengeance. Her instincts told her something wasn't right, and Yosho's deceptively withered face reflected the same.  
  
Deep inside she prayed that it wasn't that serious, at least to her. Maybe the pirate had actually gotten the idea for once that she was no longer welcome, fleeing into the infinite depths of space. It would please her greatly if Ryoko had done just that, but as the concept of the woman's departure hung in her mind, she couldn't help but feel a tremendous pang of guilt and self-contempt grow from deep inside. Yes, they were most definitely two different sides of a broad spectrum, and their history would leave even the most hardened of souls grieve for her pain. But even with all of that, she had held some hope for the pirate. After all, they had just begun to learn to tolerate each other, and even at one time, albeit brief, would even consider the other a friend. But still, the fresh reminder of yesterday's episode lingered, and her hatred for the cyan-haired bully manifested itself once again.  
  
She would just have to wait and see.  
  
Mere inches away from the silently brooding Aeka, Mihoshi sat on the floor, watching the room and the people around her, waiting patiently for the meeting to begin. Her blonde, curly hair hung loosely around her shoulders (a sight which had never been seen by anyone in the house), framing her exceptionally dark skin beautifully.   
  
The detective was well aware of the comments some of the girls had made about her hair and skin, ranging from light humor to outright cruel. But despite it all, Mihoshi forgave them for their ignorance, accepting them all for their own faults as well as her own. After all, that's what family did, forgive each other.  
  
As she looked upon the people gathered together, the detective couldn't help but feel lonely inside. She missed her partner greatly; believing Kiyone to be the only one amongst them whom she felt even remotely understood her. Sure the teal-tressed officer would continually chastise her for even the smallest of indiscretions, but she knew that Kiyone only meant to look out for her, as no one else at the Academy would even try. With her partner's absence, she felt vulnerable to the attacks and prejudices of others. Oh how Mihoshi wished she were here.  
  
"Hey, where's Ryoko?" Noboyuki questioned. "Shouldn't she be here?"  
  
"She'll be along later," Washu answered, paying no mind to the evil glare Aeka was giving Tenchi's father.  
  
Washu headed for the door that once housed the small broom closet and grasped the handle, taking a brief moment to glance at the group as they watched her every move, anticipation hanging heavily in the air.  
  
Without another thought, the gifted redhead opened the closet door, allowing everyone in the area to see what the genius had in store for them.  
  
Mihoshi shot up into the air, an ear-piercing shriek escaping her lungs. Everyone recoiled at the blonde's reaction, instinctively ducking as the officer attempted to run at the figure standing in the threshold between the lab and the living area. Unfortunately, in Mihoshi's state of excitement, she temporarily forgot about the coffee table that blocked her path. With a loud crash, her face made contact with the floor.  
  
"Ouch..."  
  
--------  
  
In the infinite depths of space, Kirito, the royal ship of Emperor Azusa, continued through the stars. Entering into what is commonly known as the Sol System on its intended destination accompanied by the Karin and several smaller crafts.   
  
Inside the enormous bridge of the Karin, a large tree (not unlike the space tree overlooking the lake by the Masaki shrine) stood amongst a lush backdrop of extravagant flora, surrounded by a maze of waterways for which to keep the habitat properly maintained.  
  
The two wives of the Emperor, Funaho and Misaki, gazed out of the transparent dome that both provided protection from the vacuum of space and allowed them to peer out into the beauty of the galaxy. The two queens, whose usual demeanor where both elegantly poised and deceptively effervescent (respectively), held somber expressions as they stood beside each other. Neither of them really wanting to breach the subject at hand, yet very much aware of the situation and what it meant for their family as well as the empire they governed.  
  
A young man wearing a uniform, similar to those being worn by Detectives Kiyone and Mihoshi, came upon the two women, bowing deeply in a show of proper respect. The man righted himself and proceeded to inform them of why he was there.  
  
"Your Highnesses, we've detected an outgoing transmission emanating from the Yagami. Should we inform the Emperor?"  
  
"That will not be necessary, Captain Ishio" answered Funaho, bowing slightly. "Emperor Azusa has much more pressing business at the moment and should not be bothered by such frivolities, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
The captain's evergreen eyes reflected his bewilderment, but held his tongue. He knew better than to question the Queen about such matters, and instead quietly agreed.  
  
"Thank you, Captain. And please remember that I wish to be informed of anything you encounter on this voyage. I do not want my husband to be disturbed. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Yes, your Highness." Ishio replied as he nodded once more, although just a bit reluctantly. Again he bowed deeply, and without so much as a second thought, turned swiftly on his heel and left.  
  
"It seems that Kiyone is determined to alert our children of our impending visit." Misaki said flatly as she left her sister/wife's side, the back of her lavishly decorated outer robes rustling ever so softly along the metallic flooring as she made her way to the ship's name sake.  
  
"Yes indeed." her counterpart replied in equal tones, continuing to stare out into the all-encompassing beauty of the galaxy before her.   
  
"What do you think is going to happen, Funaho?"   
  
"I'm not sure, but we can only hope for the best."  
  
-------  
  
High atop the snowy hillside behind the Masaki homestead sat Ryoko, the wind from the oncoming storm blowing large clusters of snow into her wild mane of cyan hair. Her favorite pink and aqua dress was now almost unrecognizable as the flakes began to collect on it as well, making it seem like a white fur coat.  
  
'So much for pity points if they thought I'd freeze to death out here' she thought sarcastically, her hand lightly grazing the very top of the snowy ground.  
  
Ryoko thought back to the matter at hand: the meeting that Washu had called, and the request that she herself should attend, along with the scientist's warning not to jump to conclusions.   
  
Too late. She had a gut feeling that she would be the topic of discussion, no matter who tried to tell her otherwise. Still, Ryoko felt that she had to go. After all, she wasn't going to leave without having something to say about it.  
  
Silently, the cyan beauty phased out of sight, leaving the wintry landscape behind.  
  
Author's notes: Here it is. Sorry to the Miho fans out there, I just had to do it, the chapter seemed too serious. Hope you like it. Again, comments welcome. Thanx to Dudeman for his proofreading, you will be greatly rewarded! A huge smooch to my devoted readers and their undying patience. You're the reason I keep going. Also, I have had more than a few people point out that the OVA and Tenchi Forever are not the same continuities. Like I stated in my first chapter, I did this on purpose. 'Why' you ask? It's simple, creativity holds no bounds for me, so forget about continuities for the time being. In other words: artistic license! :) I do have a side story in the works to explain this little issue (with a dedication at that!), so please be patient.   
  
Chapter 5 is on backorder, but expected to arrive before the holiday season. Again, feedback is VERY appreciated and welcome (except for spam and hate mail, unless you have a great sense of humor. I'm not THAT sensitive.)  
  
Mistress-Ryoko   
  
P.S. BobR, thank you so much for the review. You're a sweetheart! Hope I can continue to receive great praises from you on your site! Don't worry Valdi- I didn't forget about you. :)  
  
SMOOCHES!! 


	5. Oh, What A Web We Weave

Don't need the disclaimer. Y'all know it by heart, I'm sure. But here it is anyway. I don't profit from this, for if I did I'd own a house with a pool and a poolboy to go with it....  
  
Warning: This fic might contain bad words and other various naughty bits. So if you're not supposed to be reading this, you take the heat, but don't drag me into it...  
  
Ok Dudeman, let's get off our asses and do this...  
  
Of Dreams and Reality  
  
Chapter 5   
  
"Oh, What A Web We Weave"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Everyone in the room groaned with frustration as they looked upon Mihoshi's prone form, the remains of the glass of water Aeka had been drinking from nothing more than a shattered remnant of what it used to be.   
  
Without looking back, the self-proclaimed genius of the universe simply sighed in expectation and snapped her fingers. Within a matter of nano-seconds the pieces of glass gave off a light-blue aura and simply disappeared.  
  
Mihoshi crawled over the toppled piece of furniture and sat in an indian-style position. The detective gently rubbed her sore nose, complaining tearfully about whether or not she had broken it. Mihoshi quickly forgot her discomfort, however, when she realized why she had been too excited to notice the table that had stood in her way.   
  
"Kiyone!" the blonde detective cried, again lunging for the woman that stood in the threshold of the living room and Washu's lab.   
  
Before Washu could protest, Mihoshi ran full force in the direction of the door like a runaway freight train, only to pass through the image of her partner and dearest friend as if she were an apparition.  
  
The others stared in awed disbelief, their own troubles forgotten for the moment. Just as the men were about to move from their respective positions to help the young officer, Washu put her hands up in front of her, signaling for them to stay where they were.   
  
For the second time that morning, Mihoshi sat up and rubbed the sore spots she had accumulated on various places of her body, wondering aloud how she could have passed through her partner.  
  
"What happened to Kiyone!?" Mihoshi asked, turning her head in the direction from where her fellow GP was still standing. Her eyes began to well with tears at the thought of her friend's demise.  
  
"Well, I'll tell you if you'd give me a chance to explain," Washu answered rather curtly, motioning for the detective to return to her previous seating position as her partner's visage momentarily blinked in and out.   
  
With unshed tears, Mihoshi slowly rose from the entrance of the lab and walked back to her seat, all the while keeping an eye on Kiyone's image as it continued to stand in the doorway. The blonde woman, along with everyone else (with the exception of Washu), failed to notice an almost transparent Ryoko standing in a semi-dark corner of the living room carefully watching the group as Washu began her presentation.   
  
"First off, this is Kiyone. Only this is a highly sophisticated holographic program that utilizes a comm-link transmission from any given medium and turns it into a portable, three-dimensional image." the petite scholar informed them, pride exuding from every word as she spoke. "And this is what makes it possible," she continued, pointing to a small device the size of a matchbox on the floor just centimeters from the doorframe. "It acts as both a transmitter and a receiver. I got the idea from watching some of the old films they broadcast on television, except you don't need a projection screen."  
  
Surprisingly, they all answered with understanding sighs and slow nods, somehow comprehending what the small red head had explained to them.   
  
'Maybe I'm losing my touch.' Washu thought to herself, a bit disappointed that everyone had actually understood what she had just told them. She usually took much delight (albeit hidden) in interpreting what she had said into easier terms, making her feel that much more intellectually superior. 'Oh well, I'll get 'em next time.'  
  
"This is extraordinarily brilliant, Miss Washu..." Aeka quipped, her face as well as her words mirroring her annoyance, "but I fail to see why this couldn't have waited for a more acceptable hour."  
  
Just as Washu was about to explain, Kiyone via 'Washu satellite' spoke up, her image continuing to slightly flicker about within the doorway.  
  
"I'm sorry, Princess Aeka. It was my idea. I would have waited 'til I landed, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up on the situation."  
  
"What couldn't wait, Kiyone?" Tenchi interrupted. "What situation?"  
  
"Well," the officer continued, her usual professional demeanor slightly faltering. "I'm not even supposed to be telling you this as it does concern Princess Aeka as well as Sasami, but I think you all should know, seeing as how this might affect us all."   
  
"And what is that, Miss Kiyone?" Katsuhito questioned, tactfully prodding the detective to get to the point, not once allowing his eyes to betray the sense of dread he was feeling.  
  
Kiyone took a deep breath and continued in a solemn tone. "The Emperor and his wives are on their way to retrieve Aeka and Sasami and return them to Jurai. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but from what I can gather, the Holy Council isn't very impressed with their extended absence."  
  
"Mother and Father are coming here to take us home?" Sasami whimpered, her eyes beginning to water at the thought of leaving what she felt had become her home. The young child cast a worried glance at her sister, searching for an answer to this dilemma within Aeka's eyes.  
  
Unfortunately Aeka didn't acknowledge her sibling's presence, or anyone else's for that matter, as she turned the information over and over in her head. All the color had drained from the elder princess's face as reality came crashing down on her, causing her to collapse even more into the sofa.  
  
'At last, the time has come...' Aeka thought to herself. It felt as if an icy cold hand had a firm grip on her heart and refused to let go. She knew that this day would come eventually, but for it to happen so soon was a devastating blow. Aeka had hoped that before she was forced to leave, Tenchi would profess his undying love for her, thus accepting to take the throne by her side on Jurai. But all the hope, all the dreaming and praying had done her no good as in the end she would be alone once again.   
  
While the First Princess of Jurai sat in her depressed state, Ryoko stood in shocked silence deep within the shadows of the room. Sure, she would admit that she had on more than a few occasions dreamt of this day, the time when Aeka would have to return to her homeworld and to her duties. Ryoko would proclaim herself the victor, having Tenchi all to herself. But to actually hear it, to know that her wish was about to come true didn't exactly leave the ex-pirate with the joy she had experienced when the Emperor had last come to claim his 'wayward' children.  
  
Instead of the anticipated glee at such news, Ryoko felt a knot growing in the pit of her stomach. To say that such an unexpected feeling was a surprise was an understatement at best. Her biggest rival was exiting the picture and what was supposed to be a momentous occasion was turning out to be something entirely different. Whether it was because Sasami, a person she had grown to think of as a little sister, was leaving as well or if it was because of yesterday's occurrence that was causing such inner turmoil, Ryoko wasn't sure. All she knew was that she suddenly felt lost for some reason and it made her more than a bit uneasy.  
  
'Could it be?' Ryoko thought. 'Could it be that I'd actually miss that snooty princess?' Yes, it was a possibility, but a very small one in her mind. The odds that the former space pirate would look at Aeka as a friend of sorts, especially after what happened just yesterday, were a million to one. It would have been easier to believe several weeks before, hell even two days ago, but now after all she had gone through because the princess had decided to go ape-shit over nothing, well that just wasn't how it was.  
  
As Ryoko continued to ponder her thoughts and emotions, she failed to notice that she had unwittingly solidified her form into existence. Although still surrounded by the darkness in the corner, Ryoko was now visible...at least to those willing to see.  
  
However several yards away no one had noticed, yet. Tenchi looked upon the distraught young girl and her sister sitting on the sofa, the idea that they were about to end their 'vacation' hadn't really registered. To him, it was like the last time; their parents would come, the Emperor demanding they come home, they would deny him and then all would be back to normal. Well, as normal as things got around this house anyway. This was just another attempt by Azusa to appraise him and coax his grandfather to return home as well, and everyone knew THAT wasn't gonna happen any time soon.  
  
Tenchi was about to question Kiyone further when the detective's visage abruptly vanished.  
  
"I was hoping that wouldn't happen." the redheaded prodigy replied in a slightly exasperated tone. Washu quietly walked over to the mechanism, bent down and tapped it gingerly. After that didn't seem to work, she nonchalantly summoned her holo-terminal.  
  
"What do you mean, Miss Washu?" Tenchi questioned, "What happened?"  
  
"Well, it seems that someone has managed to intercept and jam the transmission." Washu stated matter-of-factly as her fingers continued to work at a fevered pitch. "I'm trying to see if I can reconfigure one of Earth's satellites to reconnect with the Yagami."  
  
"There is no need, Miss Washu."  
  
Everyone turned to see who had said it, only to be faced with Aeka's now fragile looking frame standing before them; her head down cast, her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. It was then that Tenchi had started to understand that maybe this was far worse than he had initially assessed. Never had he imagined that his not-so-quite normal life would end, that his princesses would leave, almost certainly never to return.  
  
His princesses? Yes, they were his princesses. Although it was true that he never got the chance to really know his mother, he always felt that no woman would ever compare to her beauty and grace. Yet, after years of living in a house of men, six beautiful women had fallen into his life, making it a bit brighter, if not more exciting. And of all those women, two of them -one not more than the Earth equivalent of 11 years old- had shown him that there did indeed exist that same feminine beauty and grace that had been missing from his life for all those years. If they left him now, that quality would again go missing, leaving him with a pain almost the same as when his dear mother had passed.  
  
Slowly, Tenchi approached Aeka, wanting so much to hold her and tell her not to go. But he knew deep down that the chances of her staying, to deny her father one last time was almost impossible. Still, he had to try.  
  
"Don't give up, Lady Aeka." Tenchi spoke the words with utmost sincerity, laying a comforting hand upon the woman's shoulder. "It'll work out. You'll see. Just please, don't give up now."  
  
From her secluded spot, Ryoko watched with wide eyes as Tenchi held onto the princess. It was all she could do to keep from either screaming or crying from her assumption of the situation, afraid that the worst of all possible outcomes had come true.   
  
'Relax,' the little voice in her head spoke, 'he's just doing what you'd expect him to do. He'd to the same for you if the roles were reversed. Besides, you heard Washu. Something big is going down and Aeka's gonna need all the support she can get.'  
  
After she had reassured herself that she was simply jumping to conclusions, Ryoko kept her emotions in check and continued to remain in the shadows, watching as events unfolded, still unaware that anyone and everyone could see her if they bothered to look.  
  
"But who could've jammed the transmission?" Nobuyuki asked.   
  
"Emperor Azusa would have given the command if he knew of it." Mihoshi answered, her somewhat professional mannerisms coming back to her.  
  
"Why would he do such a thing?" quipped Tenchi.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Washu answered in an even tone. "The Emperor's serious this time. He's coming for young Sasami and Lady Aeka. They are his children after all."  
  
"Well, I definitely feel sorry for the guy who did it, even if he had Azusa's orders." Mihoshi said to no one in particular, a knowing grin beginning to form on her face.  
  
"Why's that?" Nobuyuki asked.   
  
"Well," the blonde continued, her usual perky attitude mixing with her detective persona. "I'm sure everyone remembers the last time the Emperor came."  
  
Everyone except the princesses and Ryoko nodded.  
  
"Then you remember that he came, and is coming, with both of his wives."  
  
A chuckle began to escape from the diminutive scientist, which quickly turned into a loud guffaw.  
  
"What's so funny?" Tenchi asked, his face twisted in anger and confusion.  
  
"Don't you get it! Funaho and Misaki are accompanying him. Knowing them, they probably knew Kiyone was contacting us, but didn't want to do anything about it." Washu answered, a very wide smile highlighting her face. "Any communication attempts could've easily been intercepted and stopped before reaching Earth much sooner than this if they wanted to."   
  
"Uh-oh." Sasami interjected, her cheeks the slightest shade of pink.  
  
"What?" the young man repeated.  
  
"If you knew Mother and Auntie Funaho like we do, then you'd understand that nobody, absolutely NOBODY disobeys an order from them, even Father." the small child finished.  
  
Washu's smile slowly disappeared as she put her hand up to her chin. "Still, it must be pretty serious if someone deliberately disobeyed the Queens on Azusa's instructions."  
  
Several hundred kilometers from the planet Jupiter, Lady Funaho stood in silent anger and frustration within the Jurian ship known as the Karin. The out-going communications emitting from the Yagami had abruptly halted, and she had a pretty good indication as to why.  
  
"What do we do now?" Misaki asked while twisting her regal attire between clenched fists. She, too, was steamed at the idea of a direct order being completely ignored, but more importantly she was upset that her children had no idea what lie ahead for them, and this almost caused her to start crying.  
  
"Unfortunately, we will have to wait until we arrive. There is nothing more we can do." Funaho answered, all the while contemplating the fate of a certain Captain and one Emperor of Jurai.  
  
Not far ahead of the Imperial ships and their escorts, the pilot of the Yagami continued unsuccessfully to regain the lost transmission to Earth.  
  
"Damn!" Kiyone growled angrily, slamming her fist into the console once more.  
  
"It seems that all frequencies have been jammed to prevent further communication. However we will continue to scan for any open channels." informed Azaka  
  
"Yeah, whatever." the officer answered. With a long sigh, Kiyone reclined back into her pilot's seat, folding her hands behind her head.  
  
"In fact, don't bother. We'll be landing shortly anyway."  
  
"As you wish." came the reply of the twin guardian Kamidake.  
  
The teal-haired woman simply watched the planets making up the Sol system pass one by one. What had started out to as a routine task of filing reports and updating the data banks of the princess's guardians had now become a very ominous 'escort and recovery' order.  
  
Sure, the king had every right to come for his offspring, but something about the whole affair just didn't add up. Any detective worth his or her salt could see that.   
  
Kiyone had felt it since she first set foot into GP Headquarters. It started off as the usual question and answer period; people wanting to know any information as to why the Princess Aeka and her sister had not yet returned. She would give her answers as she always had; she wasn't at liberty to say, other than she had strict orders from the Crown Princess to halt all communication while on an extended vacation in some little-known sector of space. It was after the usual 'interrogation' that she was given a completely different assignment.   
  
Her superiors hadn't been very specific about it, which was strange in and of itself. Usually such orders had detailed information to back it up. All that was mentioned was that Kiyone was to return to Earth with the royal entourage to retrieve both Princess Aeka and Princess Sasami on orders of the Holy Council and the Emperor himself. No other explicit data was given.  
  
"Wonder what all the secrecy is about?" the woman thought aloud to herself.  
  
"We have no information pertaining to your request at this time." answered Azaka.  
  
"I wasn't asking you..." Kiyone half snarled, more than a bit perturbed at the idea of having the two cylinders as company. 'Next time, Mihoshi can bring these two in for their routine check-ups, that is if there is a next time.'   
  
Kiyone continued to look at the stars and planets before her, deep in thought when Kamadake interrupted them.  
  
"Estimated time of arrival, 1.5 Earth hours."  
  
Kiyone spun around in her seat and glared at the wooden companion.  
  
"Can it!"  
  
"Detective Kiyone doesn't seem to have much patience, does she?" Kamadake whispered to his counterpart, a sweatdrop appearing on the side of his smoothly lacquered surface.  
  
"Must be stress." his twin responded in kind.  
  
The entire Masaki household sat around the living room as Kastuhito returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea and snack cakes. It had been a small shock to everyone that the royal family were coming, but nevertheless expected.  
  
Tenchi had managed to calm Aeka down just a bit, getting her to sit back down on the sofa so that they could all figure out what to do. Washu had estimated that Kiyone would arrive in just over an hour, the royal tree-ships following close behind. That didn't give them much time to formulate a plan.   
  
"Is there any way you can stay here and perform your duties through one of Washu's communication devices?" asked Tenchi as he sat next to her on the sofa, watching Aeka intently for any reaction to his question.  
  
The First Crown Princess simply sat there staring at the floor, and yet not seeing it, as she silently contemplated the question put before her.  
  
"Unfortunately, Lord Tenchi, that would not work." Aeka answered flatly. "The Holy Council would not accept such communication when it comes to the affairs of Jurai."  
  
"That is true," the Shinto priest interjected as he set the tray down onto the uprighted table. "There are some things that need to be dealt with face to face as it were. Anyone wanting to infiltrate any transmissions having to do with Jurai could easily do so. That should have been obvious by Washu's example." he finished, referring to the device that the scientist had used earlier.  
  
Tenchi wanted to slap himself for the oversight. How could he have suggested such a thing.   
  
"Don't worry. All things work out in the end." Katsuhito stated, the light from the windows reflecting off his glasses as he spoke.  
  
"How Grandpa?" young Sasami asked, her face streaked with dried tears.  
  
"Calm down, little one." Katsuhito replied, walking over to his little sister. "We must keep in mind that what ever happens, it happens for a reason."  
  
"And what reason would that be?" Aeka answered caustically, her eyes flaring with anger. Her self-pity and sadness seemed to melt away at the old man's remark. That statement itself had now filled her with rage and bitterness. Unable to contain it, she stood up and let loose.  
  
"Tell me, brother Yosho, what is the reason for my continued suffering? Tell me why I must always be denied happiness no matter what the cost?" she barked, her usually graceful hands now balled up fists at her sides as she advanced on him.   
  
"I don't have all the answers you seek for the questions you ask, and if anyone told you otherwise they would be a fool." the priest answered evenly, standing his ground against his sister's verbal backlash.  
  
"If anyone here should be the fool it is I." Aeka shouted back. "I was foolish enough to believe that I could have happiness in any shape or form. Just like I have diluted myself into thinking that that demon woman had a heart!"  
  
"Now wait just a God-damn minute, Princess!" Ryoko growled.  
  
To everyone's surprise, Ryoko stepped out of the dark corner that she had been hiding in and began to approach. Washu stopped working on the disconnected comm-link and watched as events unfolded. Sensing what was about to happen, she summoned another transparent keyboard and began typing once again.  
  
"It's not my fault that your family is coming to take you back home, so don't take it out on me!" the cyan-tressed pirate continued.  
  
"Oh I see! It's not your fault, nothing ever is. Tell me, Ryoko, who's fault was it that caused Sasami's injuries yesterday? Not yours I suppose." Aeka was livid, her fingers began to tingle and the smell of ozone filled the air around her. The others began to duck behind various pieces of furniture, waiting for the inevitable to happen, that is except Washu and Tenchi.  
  
"That wasn't my fault! Everything was fine until you decided to flip your wig!" Ryoko spat back.  
  
"And I presume that it wasn't you who attacked Jurai either?! It's because of you that I lost my brother, not to mention the near death of poor Sasami on that same day!"  
  
"You know that wasn't my fault either!"  
  
"I doubt that is entirely accurate!"  
  
"ENOUGH!"   
  
Both ladies turned to see whom it was that had yelled at them only to see Tenchi, his face was beat red, his eyes closed tightly shut. To say that he was a bit miffed was putting it rather mildly.  
  
"I'm sick and tired of hearing you two constantly fighting!" he complained harshly. "I honestly thought you girls had finally settled your differences, but boy was I wrong."  
  
"Lord Tenchi.."  
  
"I said quiet!" he interrupted, his booming voice echoing off the rafters above him. After several deep breaths to calm his nerves, he opened his eyes and stared intensely at the two women before he continued.  
  
"I don't know exactly what happened between the both of you yesterday, and frankly I don't care. All I know is that there is a little girl over there that is lucky to still be with us after what happened."  
  
Aeka and Ryoko suddenly found the hardwood floor beneath their feet to be quite interesting as Tenchi went on, neither of them wanting to look into his angry face. They had never seen him this upset at them before, and quite frankly it scared them.  
  
"Sometimes..." he stopped.  
  
The princess and the pirate lifted their heads when he abruptly halted his tirade. What he said next was like a sword through their hearts.  
  
"Sometimes, I wish I'd never come back."   
  
It had finally been said. All the longing he secretly kept from all of them had come out into the open. All those nights he had dreamt of her; of their time together, so peaceful and quiet. That was what he had wanted and thought that he had found when he returned, only to be reminded of the harsh reality yesterday.  
  
"Tenchi, you don't mean that." Ryoko implored in disbelief. Instead of a reply, Tenchi simply walked away without a word, his head tilted towards the floor.  
  
Washu watched the young man as he turned the corner of the staircase and disappear before she spoke up.  
  
"You can come out now."  
  
One by one Katsuhito, Mihoshi, Sasami, Nobuyuki and even Ryo-Ohki emerged from behind various items of furniture, their eyes wide with shock and their chins practically dragging on the floor.  
  
"I was sure we were gonna be blown to bits." the widower stated nonchalantly.  
  
"Lucky for you I put up a dampening field, just in case."  
  
"Did Tenchi mean what he said?" asked Sasami, her big pink eyes pleading with the petite genius.  
  
Washu looked down at the small princess and forced a smile just as Nobuyuki walked up to her.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it." was all Washu could say to her.  
  
"I think it would be best if you laid down for a little while, just until your family shows up." explained the father figure. "Then we'll work this all out."  
  
Reluctantly Sasami complied, allowing Nobuyuki to pick her up and carry her up to her room. As they passed, Ryo-Ohki, still gathered in Sasami's arms, mewed ever so softly at the two women standing like statues, each caught up in their own thoughts about what had just transpired.  
  
"I'd like to see you both in my lab, pronto." demanded the petite scholar as she dismissed her computer.   
  
Silently Ryoko and Aeka followed her order and headed for the lab, each of them memorizing the floorboards as they went, leaving Katsuhito to sit on the loveseat, quietly sipping tea.  
  
Nobuyuki carefully tucked Sasami into her futon, making sure she would be as comfortable as possible. To the middle-aged man, it was almost like a case of deja vu, only this time it was a small princess and not his son. His brown eyes began to tear at the thought.  
  
"What's wrong, Mr. Masaki?" the young girl asked.  
  
"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about." he softly answered, blinking his eyes to keep the tears of long past memories from escaping.  
  
After smoothing out the covers and patting her on the head, Nobuyuki headed for the door.  
  
"Mr. Masaki?" Sasami began cautiously.  
  
Nobuyuki stopped in his tracks and turned to the young child.  
  
"I'm scared."  
  
A small quirk of a smile grew from his lips as his mind registered what she had just said. 'Yes, deja vu indeed."  
  
"It's ok, everything will be just fine." he answered as honestly as he could. With that, Nobuyuki calmly walked out of the room and slid the door closed before heading down the hall to his son's room. After Tenchi's understandable outburst, his father thought it was about time they had a heart to heart talk.  
  
The middle-aged man knocked on the door, only to receive no reply. He knocked a second time, although a tad harder than the first.  
  
A muffled 'go away' was said from the other side.  
  
"It's your father," Nobuyuki answered mildly. "May I come in?"  
  
Several moments of silence passed as he waited for his only child to either give him the brush off or acknowledge his presence. Nobuyuki was fully prepared to be sent away again when the sound of the door latch turning gave him hope. Slowly the door began to slide open, but only a crack.  
  
"I'd really like to be alone right now, please."   
  
"I'm sorry to hear that son, 'cause I think we need to talk."  
  
Gradually, Tenchi opened the door wide enough for his father to enter. As soon as Nobuyuki was inside, Tenchi quickly closed the door and locked it again.  
  
"Well," Nobuyuki began, "we've had quite a day, haven't we?"  
  
Tenchi just stood there with his arms crossed at the chest, his hair disheveled as was his clothing, like he had just been tossing around in his bed.   
  
"Listen, I know you're under a lot of stress right now..."  
  
"You don't know the half of it." Tenchi interjected, the pitch of his voice making it perfectly clear that he was in no mood to relive the past day and a half.  
  
"I'm sure I don't." Nobuyuki turned to face his son's desk and pulled out the chair, taking a seat so that his arms crossed over the backrest. "But what you said downstairs kinda scared me."  
  
Tenchi raised his head slightly so he could look into his father's eyes. "What do you mean?"  
  
"That you said you wished you'd never came back."  
  
Sighing heavily, the young man stalked across the room and sat on his bed, contemplating the words he had said downstairs being repeated by his father.  
  
"Honestly, sometimes I really wish I had stayed with her, away from all of this."  
  
"Why?" Nobuyuki cross-examined.  
  
"You saw what happened downstairs?" Tenchi snapped. "I thought they were better. Sure they were having little arguments, but at least they didn't destroy anything or hurt anyone!"  
  
"Now, now. There's no need to yell."  
  
"I think I have every right to be angry!"  
  
Again, several moments of silence had passed between them before either of them spoke.  
  
"When I was with Haruna, everything was so quiet and calm. It was like a dream come true. No one fighting, nothing being blown up. I know I didn't realize it at the time, but now that I think about it, I was much better off back there."   
  
"I can understand that, I guess." his father replied, now interested in his hands as he wrung them together.  
  
"No you can't." his son answered back  
  
Nobuyuki took a deep breath, intertwining his fingers together before he spoke. "Tenchi, did I ever tell you.. about your mother and I... before she died?" he faltered.  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" Tenchi questioned, trying to dismiss the notion that the two paths were related.  
  
"Not everything between your mother and I was perfect." his father admitted. "She knew she was dying, I don't know how, but she did. She told me as much a few days before she was gone."  
  
Tenchi didn't acknowledge his father's statement as he went on.  
  
"We fought a lot, even about the stupidest things. About how she could take care of herself, the dishes not being done, damn it she even argued about the color of the blankets on her bed! But you were so small, I doubt you'd remember." Nobuyuki ran his fingers through his already graying hair before he proceeded. "I know it sounds cruel, but back then I prayed that the Gods would just take her away and let it be done." A small tear trickled down his cheek as he finished his sentence.  
  
Tenchi's head shot up to look at his father with a menacing stare. He couldn't believe the things he was hearing, but so upset that he wasn't able to speak.  
  
"Achika was a fighter, right to the end. And when the end came, I pleaded with the deities to return her to me, just so I could hear her scream at me once last time."  
  
Once again, Tenchi hung his head, finally understanding what his father was trying to say. 'How could I have said such a thing?' he berated himself.   
  
"So you see, I do understand. Even though the circumstances are different, the idea is still the same. And when you had said that, it reminded me of that time." More tears began to follow the first. "Anger and frustration makes people say things that they'll regret later, and believe me, regret is not something you want to live with for the rest of your life."  
  
Nobuyuki got up off the chair and placed it back in its original spot, all the while trying to hold back the rest of the tears he had not shed.  
  
Silently, Tenchi stood up as well and walked over to his dad. Without a second thought, he hugged him, a gesture which neither one of them had shared in a long time.  
  
"Thanks Dad."  
  
"S'all right, son. Just doin' my job." Nobuyuki said as he reciprocated his son's actions.  
  
They stayed like that for a few moments; not saying a word as none needed to be said. Finally, the two men let go of each other.  
  
"Guess I'll go downstairs and have a talk with the girls." admitted Tenchi, a humble look replacing the anger that had been there earlier.  
  
"No need."   
  
"Huh? Why not?"  
  
Nobuyuki snickered before answering. "I think Washu has that covered."  
  
Tenchi rolled his eyes at the thought of Washu 'taking care' of the girls, but couldn't help a small giggle himself. "Knowing her, that could definitely be a punishment in itself."  
  
They had only been there for a few minutes, but to them it felt as if hours had passed. The elder princess and the space pirate sat in a secluded section of the lab per Washu's instructions, waiting for the small genius to appear. Exactly why she had demanded that they meet her in there, they weren't exactly sure. All they knew was that it wasn't going to be pleasant.   
  
In a rare display of modesty, Washu walked in; no fan fare was heard, no confetti littered the floor, not even a small robotic replica of herself to announce her arrival. She simply walked in, a look of restrained exasperation clearly evident upon her small face.  
  
Both women, who had been ignoring each other's presence the whole time, watched with intense scrutiny as the deceptively small scientist walked before them and then abruptly stop. Without warning, Aeka and Ryoko yelped in pain as two enormous wooden mallets appeared out of nowhere and cracked against their skulls.  
  
"I don't know about you two, but I'm feeling better already." the red-head beamed.  
  
Two crumpled bodies lay sprawled out on the floor, each moaning incoherently from the punishment they had just received...and deserved.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Post-chapter blab: Ok, here's ch.5. It's taken me a while to get it out, and for that I apologize. An unfortunate event had taken place just as I began this part of the story, and I'm slowly but surely getting back up to speed. But I won't bother you with the details. I'm sorry if this chapter's not as good as the others, but that's the way it goes sometimes.  
  
I would like to bring to light a subject that's being repeatedly brought to my attention. I am NOT an Aeka hater, never have been, never will be. People assume that because they've only read what's out there (what I've written so far) that I find it amusing to bash a TM! character. I can't blame them really (I think I would too if I only read what was given to me), but I must ask that the hate mail stop. Sure, people have a right to their opinions, but I think name bashing and physical threats are a little extreme, don't you. If you don't like the story, that's fine, but let's be civil about it please. :)  
  
Hew, glad to get that off my chest.   
  
Anyhoo, workin' on #6, but that one will probably be a wait as well; still playing catch up ya know. ;) I still don't know how the story's gonna develop, things like this usually write themselves.   
  
As for Dudeman, well you know I love ya, so let's leave it at that. ;)  
  
Feed back is always welcome, but let's keep the smear campaign down to a dull roar. Thanx.  
  
Mistress-Ryoko  
  
Oh yes, for all of those people out there wondering what "E Bob Plebs Fides; E Jay Plebs Dubium" means, well, it means "In Bob We Trust; In Jay We Doubt" (It's on a t-shirt I got, signed by Kevin Smith, a.k.a. Silent Bob, himself. SWEEEEEEEEEEEET....) 


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